


Blinded by the Thirst of Sin

by jks_microwave



Series: Raise the Anchor [2]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst, Bottom Park Seonghwa, Established Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin, Fantasy, Hongjoong is the Pirate King, M/M, Marriage, Married Sex, San is a giant question mark in this, Secret Identity, Seonghwa is Conflicted, Subterfuge, Switch Choi San, Switch Jung Wooyoung, Top Kim Hongjoong, Wooyoung is aggressive with his affection wbk, a high seas love story, all aboard the ss booty, historical inaccuracies we love to see it, this is just me furthering my top hongjoong agenda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:20:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 44,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28122993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jks_microwave/pseuds/jks_microwave
Summary: Park Seonghwa lived the life most pirates dreamed of - Lieutenant of the most prolific pirate ship in the Caribbean, the HORIZON, and married by the Sea Goddess Umberlee to the Pirate King himself, Kim Hongjoong.There was just one problem - Seonghwa was sent by the Royal Navy's Brigadier General to infiltrate the HORIZON and send her crew and King to the gallows.
Relationships: Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: Raise the Anchor [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074932
Comments: 119
Kudos: 222





	1. Brighten Ourselves in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> I was working on Black Cat Bang Chan and this happened. Oops. 
> 
> Title is from "Precious" by ATEEZ (underaaaaated) and the Chapter Titles are from "Answer". 
> 
> This is in the same universe as my JiKook fic [Back Into the Maw](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24556900) but you don't need to read it to read this one. :D

The Pirate King Kim Hongjoong was not only ravenous on the high seas, but also in bed if the litany of rapidly purpling bruises on Seonghwa’s neck straight down to his thighs had anything to say about it. Gently, as he looked at himself in the ostentatious mirror that hung in the Captain’s quarters (a rather notable plunder from a merchant vessel on her way to make a delivery to the Queen herself), Seonghwa’s slender fingers trailed down the nasty bruises as his eyebrows raised. It was certainly impressive how _thoroughly_ Hongjoong staked his claim on the Lieutenant’s neck, but it’d been worth it.

His eyes widened as he felt a very familiar tongue slide up a particularly bright love bite on his jugular, not having heard Hongjoong rise from his apparent slumber. The tension soon left his broad shoulders as he let his eyes flutter shut, enjoying the sensation of Hongjoong’s lips and tongue lavishing at the spot.

“I thought you were asleep,” he breathed, trying to steel his composure. It was difficult, especially as Hongjoong’s calloused fingers played at the hem of his trousers. He’d _hoped_ that Hongjoong was asleep; it was a good thing that he’d kept his thoughts inside of his head.

“Come back to bed,” Hongjoong murmured, lips curling devilishly as he darkened his favourite bite.

Seonghwa shook his head. “I need to oversee the night crew, you know that,” he replied, turning around in Hongjoong’s hold. “It’s San and I tonight, and if we don’t keep an eye on Wooyoung and Yeosang, this ship’s going to end up somewhere in the New World instead of Tortuga.”

Hongjoong grumbled, but in the end, knew that his Lieutenant was correct. “Fine,” He acquiesced, but he didn’t look pleased about it one bit. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with San lately.” It wasn’t an accusation, except that Seonghwa knew that it absolutely was.

He raised an eyebrow in response. “You do know that he works directly under me? It goes without saying that we would be spending a lot of time together; we spend a lot of time ensuring that your ship runs like clockwork.”

“Hmph,” Hongjoong huffed, a tinge of embarrassment colouring his roguishly handsome features. “I know.” He slid a ring-adorned finger along Seonghwa’s jawline, easily and deftly capturing the taller man’s mouth in a slow, deep kiss. How easy it was to lose himself in Hongjoong’s kisses, Seonghwa mentally lamented. It’s what got him into this mess in the first place. “Do not dally too long, husband. My bed is cold without you.”

Seonghwa’s chest tightened at that, but he schooled his expression and returned Hongjoong’s faint smile with one of his own. He bent down slightly, capturing his Captain’s lips in a deep kiss, this one a bit more heated than the last. “Keep this kiss as a memory of me until I return,” he said softly, carefully extricating himself from the Pirate King’s arms and pulling on the rest of his clothing until he was fully put together. He made sure that the swath of bruises that Hongjoong cut across his neck and collarbones were hidden, leaving the Captain’s Quarters with a slight nod to his husband. Hongjoong smirked and returned to his bed, supremely confident despite being entirely naked save for a flimsy, frilly shirt.

A deep exhale of breath left Seonghwa as he closed the door behind him, and his shoulders slumped. He turned around… and found himself face to face with San. “—don’t do that.”

“We need to talk.”

Seonghwa’s eyes narrowed. “Very well. But make it quick; I have rounds to do, as do you.” He walked with San out onto the main part of the _Horizon_ , to the bow where it overlooked the sea bathed in moonlight. “What is it?”

San didn’t even glance at him as he replied in their coded dialect. “We’re running out of time. I received word from Brigadier General Namjoon that we need to close in on the crew of the _Horizon_ and your… _dear husband_ sooner rather than later.”

Seonghwa tensed as his reality came crashing down; they were agents for Her Majesty the Queen, undercover aboard the _Horizon_ for roughly a year now, running with a band of pirates in the hopes of shoving them all into the gallows head first. What had happened instead was that both San and Seonghwa had gotten themselves entrenched in the _Horizon’s_ crew, and Seonghwa had married their Captain. They’d intended to get close to the crew so they could influence the ship’s direction, get them into a trap laid around Port Royal, but Seonghwa and San found how thoroughly convincing and charismatic the Pirate King Kim Hongjoong could be.

“Damn it,” Seonghwa cursed under his breath. He cast a side glance to San, who met his eyes briefly. “What news of Captain Jeon’s pursuit of the _Black Swan?_ ”

San sucked on his teeth and subtly turned his head back towards the sea; to a bystander watching them it would have looked like San didn’t move at all. “He caught the _Black Swan_ , but the _Swan_ escaped in the dead of night with his two lieutenants.”

“…it’s not like Captain Jeon to let someone like the _Swan_ get away.”

“It is if it was his husband.”

At _that_ , Seonghwa turned and stared at his second-in-command with widened eyes. “ _What?_ ” he hissed. “Captain Jeon is—to the _Swan?_ ”

San inclined his head slightly. “If you believe the rumours, yes,” he replied softly, cheeks hollowing slightly as he clenched his jaw. “Whether or not he knew that his dear husband was the _Black Swan_ before the arrest is a mystery. However…” He glanced at his superior, “it seems you and Captain Jeon have a lot in common. Except he wasn’t the one that lied to his husband.”

The _Horizon’s_ Lieutenant narrowed his eyes and he straightened himself out. “There’s more going on to that than what we’ve heard,” he answered finally. “But what we have to do remains the same.”

“At least no one can say that you aren’t dedicated to your duty as a servant of Her Majesty the Queen,” San murmured lowly, a sardonic smile on his lips. “Even making the Oath to the Goddess of the Sea to marry her chosen King… what an honourable man, Seonghwa.”

“Mind your manners, it’s ‘hyung’ to you,” Seonghwa muttered, despite knowing that formalities like that meant virtually nothing out at sea, especially on a pirate vessel. “And what about Wooyoung? Don’t think I haven’t noticed how close you two are getting.”

San’s eyebrows twitched slightly but otherwise, no change registered on San’s handsome face. His eyes flitted to where Wooyoung and Yeosang were squabbling about which way to properly tie down the mast, his eyes remaining flat. “Unlike you, I know how to keep my distance.”

The Lieutenant’s eyes narrowed, lips curling into a slight snarl. “You know as well as I do that it was necessary to take the Oath; I wasn’t getting anywhere if I didn’t show my loyalty to him.”

“Just remember where your loyalty truly lies, _hyung_ ,” San murmured as he finally broke away. “I’m going to make my rounds now,” he said louder, catching Wooyoung and Yeosang’s attention. He bowed respectfully to Seonghwa, before making his way over to the squabbling pair.

Seonghwa’s jaw involuntarily clenched as he stared out at the dark waters, dappled by the moonlight’s soft glow. What San said wasn’t out of line; when one boiled everything down to its core, San was right and Seonghwa knew it. But it had been necessary to prove that he was loyal to the _Horizon_ and to Hongjoong, so if it took making an oath in front of the Sea Goddess to marry her chosen King, the head of the High Council of Pirates to complete his duty … he’d make that sacrifice for the Crown.

(‘Just remember where your loyalty truly lies, _hyung_.’)

Damn San; he always had his sharpest blade out and aimed right for your heart. Seonghwa wondered if he truly knew his second-in-command; San was an enigma, putting forth one personality and concealing another to each person he spoke to. His information network was second to none and it was unclear just how many fake names he really had… and if ‘Choi San’ was one of them. There was a reason why Namjoon assigned San with Seonghwa to infiltrate the _Horizon_ , and Seonghwa knew he had to stay sharp; San was there to make sure the mission was completed. At any cost.

But he knew he was right about San’s feelings towards Wooyoung; the way he looked at the younger man was something one couldn’t fake, no matter how good one was at it. Putting the thoughts out of his head for the moment, Seonghwa shook his head slightly and went about his duties, ensuring that the night crew ran like a well-oiled machine. While the crew of the _Horizon_ weren’t slouches, it wasn’t until Seonghwa and San came aboard that they seemed to hit their stride.

Never in a million years did Park Seonghwa, known throughout Her Majesty’s Royal Navy as the Queen’s Siren, think that he would be running around with brigands, married by the laws of Umberlee to her Pirate King and exploring the uncharted world. The Fates sure liked to play around with Seonghwa, and he wondered how far his patience truly extended. He sighed as he finished his rounds, leaving San to deal with the rest; he was the most successful in getting the others up to begin morning duties, and Seonghwa was not in the mood to deal with a ship full of boisterous men, not after what he’d learned.

Quietly, he opened the door to the Captain’s Quarters and slowly began to strip out of his clothing, muttering under his breath as his mood began to sour. His mind was going in circles, thinking about Captain Jeon Jungkook, about the rumours that his husband was the _Black Swan_ , and whether or not he knew before or after the _Swan’s_ capture. He knew now… did he help his husband escape or was the _Swan_ that slippery? Where would they go from there?

In the end, Seonghwa realized it had nothing to do with him. His situation was completely different: he had been explicitly sent to infiltrate the _Horizon_ and send its crew to the gallows on orders from the Brigadier General of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy. Kim Namjoon entrusted Seonghwa and San with this mission, believing that the two young officers were the best suited to infiltrate the rouge squadron of pirates that had been galavanting across the Caribbean for far too long, wreaking havoc on the colonies.

At least, that’s what Seonghwa thought at first. In the year that he and San had spent with the _Horizon_ and her crew, he realized that they weren’t the infection ravaging the colonies that the Brigadier General thought they were. They were pirates, yes, but they harmed no one that didn’t deserve it. Kim Hongjoong was ruthless, but only to those that wronged the innocent; he stole from the corrupt, the heinous, those who took lives and money without remorse. He protected his crew with his life, going out on the front lines for raids - something that no Captain, pirate or not, did.

Seonghwa remembered clearly the first time he saw Hongjoong join them for a raid. It was a raid on the private vessel of a merchant who had been diverting goods and supplies to the poorer colonies and pocketing it for himself, claiming pirates were the reason for it. He’d convinced the East India Trading Company to give him higher security, and a private vessel so that the pirates wouldn’t catch him. He had it all planned, but he didn’t count on Kim Hongjoong and the crew of the _Horizon_. Hongjoong led the charge onto the vessel, directing the chaos like a maestro; it was quite honestly the most beautiful thing Seonghwa had ever seen.

He wondered if that was the moment he doomed himself.

A pair of strong arms came around his waist, lips soft with balm fastening to his freshly exposed neck. “I can feel how pissed off you are from the bed, my love. Did Yeosang and Wooyoung give you trouble? A few hours in the brig will calm them both down,” Hongjoong murmured against the rapidly warming skin of Seonghwa’s neck.

“No, it doesn’t have anything to do with them, surprisingly,” Seonghwa replied, choosing his words carefully. “I’d heard that the _Black Swan_ got captured by the _Euphoria_ ’s Captain, Jeon Jungkook. I was wondering how long before the nooses are around our necks; if they closed in on the Swan, we’re definitely next.”

It wasn’t a _complete_ lie.

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you’re concerned about?” He turned Seonghwa around, and led him back towards their bed, despite the other being in a half state of undress. “Come here.” Without waiting for Seonghwa’s inevitable protest, Hongjoong led the older man into their bed, not speaking again until Seonghwa was fully undressed and half under the luxurious covers. “Jimin is on the High Council; there’s no way he’s going to let a paltry jail like the one in Port Royal keep him locked up.”

“He was still caught,” Seonghwa pointed out. “And the Royal Navy’s Brigadier General is not going to rest until he stamps out piracy.” Quieter, he finished, as he looked up into Hongjoong’s eyes, “we’re on borrowed time.” It came out more like a plea than he meant it, and he wondered if San was right, that he’d let his feelings get in the way of his duty to the Crown.

Something in Hongjoong’s expression shifted from brazen confidence to something softer and he gently cupped Seonghwa’s face in his ring adorned fingers. Almost by instinct, Seonghwa’s hands raised and rested on Hongjoong’s hips, fingers idly dancing along the tattoo on the Pirate King’s torso - the Mark of the King of the High Council. It was a position that only changed hands upon death, and only the Sea Goddess could choose the next King. She’d chosen Hongjoong instead of Jimin, and Seonghwa could remember hearing the whispers when he and San had been serving on the _Euphoria_ ; everyone had been sure that the Black Swan of the Seas would be the next King of the High Council.

But like with everything he was involved in, Hongjoong came out of left field and made his presence felt immediately. He would hit like thunder and disappear like smoke. But now, in their marital bed in the Captain’s Quarters, Hongjoong was holding Seonghwa like he was the most precious treasure in the world and it broke Seonghwa’s heart. “Our time is up when I say it is,” Hongjoong whispered, trailing a kiss down from the corner of Seonghwa’s mouth to his neck. “And Brigadier General Kim Namjoon can try all he wants to stamp us out, but we’ll persist. It may not be like this, but he’ll take my freedom when I’m dead.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Seonghwa pleaded suddenly, inwardly cursing his emotions. He’d gone so long without listening to them, and after a year with Hongjoong and the _Horizon_ , he was now listening to them too much. He tightened his grip on Hongjoong’s hips, looking up at the vibrant Pirate King with conflict clear in his eyes. “We have to be smart about this; we’re not a match for the Royal Navy head-to-head and the Brigadier General’s not as stupid as pirates seem to think he is. There’s a reason he’s leapfrogged more experienced officers—”

Silencing Seonghwa’s cautionary protests were Hongjoong’s lips on his. “ _Enough talk about Kim Namjoon_ ,” Hongjoong hissed, thoroughly worked up by the way Seonghwa was talking up the Brigadier General.

His jealousy manifested in strange ways, Seonghwa noticed, especially when it came to him. When Seonghwa had first come aboard the _Horizon_ , he spent quite a bit of time getting to know everyone on board and learning their quirks as he worked his way up to the top. By the time that Seonghwa had found himself sharing laughs with Yunho and Wooyoung, he’d also found himself flat on his back on Hongjoong’s bed not long after.

“He’s in his ivory tower in Port Royal, and _we’re_ here, free out on the seas and with the blessing of the Sea Goddess Umberlee.” He stroked Seonghwa’s cheeks with his thumbs, stealing another kiss - this one much softer. “What more do we need?”

“Hongjoong…” Seonghwa breathed as he felt his control slip away, stolen away on the lips of the Pirate King.

He received a soft hum in response, Hongjoong kissing every single one of the love bites he left littered across Seonghwa’s toned body, hardened by a life out on the high seas. To his lieutenant’s surprise, Hongjoong took Seonghwa’s right hand in his, pressing a kiss to the pirate brand on his forearm. His tongue lavished at the brand, accented by Umberlee’s blessing - a special notation given only to Her chosen.

“Look how beautiful you are, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong murmured, almost rendered breathless by the sight of his husband beneath him, “how could the goddess not bless you? Bless _us?_ ” He pressed a soft, almost loving kiss to Seonghwa’s lips. “My heart always lived out on the open sea, but it was never complete until you came.”

Seonghwa’s eyes widened and he could feel his own heart break in half. (How can I keep lying to you like this? Do you truly not know why I suddenly appeared in your life alongside San? Why it seemed like I knew everything about you, about your ship?) Silently, he brought his hands up and placed them on Hongjoong’s shoulders as if to halt his movements. Seonghwa could feel his pirate’s brand throb, he could feel the Goddess’ Blessing course through this veins, he could feel _Hongjoong_ deep within his heart - his heart that was currently trying to shatter itself into dust.

He had to say something; this was going on too long. Hongjoong had to know the truth; he had to know the man he married was really a naval officer for the Royal Navy. But wouldn’t … but wouldn’t Umberlee have known what kind of man Seonghwa was? Why did she bless them? Why did She marry them? Why… did any of this happen?

“Seonghwa, you look like you want to say something,” Hongjoong whispered, kissing Seonghwa’s ship-worn fingertips. “You can say anything here. You’ve earned that right.”

( _Have I?_ ) Seonghwa thought desperately. (Everything about how I came here is a lie! Do you really not know? How could you not? I’ve been so obvious… you should’ve killed me by now. I’m not the liar San is…) He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath, feeling Hongjoong tense against him. “I don’t deserve you,” Seonghwa answered softly, his voice almost inaudible. “I don’t deserve your love, I don’t deserve Umberlee’s blessing, and I don’t deserve my place on this ship. You should’ve tossed me overboard as soon as I came on board the _Horizon._ ”

Hongjoong’s eyes widened and for a moment, his expression became unreadable. Seonghwa fully expected to feel the full force of Hongjoong’s wrath; more than anything, the King hated dishonesty and Seonghwa all but confessed that he’d been lying without saying it explicitly. “Who told you that you don’t?” he asked quietly.

“Me,” Seonghwa replied without missing a beat, “I don’t deserve any of this. Least of all your love. You … you deserve a better husband than me.” (Please, put me out of my misery,) he mentally begged, his heart straining against his chest. It couldn’t take the pain anymore. Not when Hongjoong was looking at him like he was the most precious treasure he’d ever found.

The King’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and seemingly had his answer ready in the form of an all-consuming kiss, one that stole Seonghwa’s breath away and pulled a whimper from him instead. “There’s no one else for me but you,” Hongjoong whispered against his lips. “Let me show you, Seonghwa, how perfect we are together.”

There was nothing short of the Sea Goddess’ wrath that could dissuade Hongjoong when he was like this, and if Seonghwa was honest with himself - and he rarely was - he _wanted_ to be taken. He was tired of how much his heart hurt, tired of the lies, tired of having one step out in the open seas and one foot back in the reality of who he truly was. “… _Please_ ,” Seonghwa whispered, long fingers anchoring in Hongjoong’s wild hair. “I need you, Hongjoong.”

There it was.

That was the root of the matter, wasn’t it?

He needed Hongjoong like he needed air to breathe.

The Pirate King’s lips curled into a smile as bright as the sun and Seonghwa felt like a man that had spent his entire life in darkness. He could feel the bed shift, hearing the tell-tale sound of Hongjoong rummaging around in the nearby chest, pulling out a small amber bottle with a special oil inside. In the last vestiges of night, Seonghwa could see his husband bathed in the faint glow of the awakening sun - an image he would take with him to the grave, he was sure.

Hongjoong always took his time with Seonghwa, no matter how ravenous he felt, or how heated things got, he always took pride in taking his husband apart with his fingers and putting him back together. “So smart,” Hongjoong murmured, lips dancing along the darkening bruises from earlier the day before, intent on adding more. “There’s no one more beautiful, cunning, or determined… Seonghwa, you were made to be a pirate; made to be by my side.”

Skilled fingers slick with oil stretched the Lieutenant open, and Seonghwa felt his body slacken under Hongjoong’s confident ministrations. It became so easy to give himself over to the Captain, to let himself go and _feel_. For so long Seonghwa locked himself away, following orders and doing whatever was asked of him. Being with Hongjoong, Seonghwa felt like he could do things for _himself_ and it was _okay_. He became restless on the fine cotton sheets, head pressed back hard against the pillows as his gasps became wanton moans, black hair beginning to dampen with his sweat.

“ _Please_ …”

Hongjoong sucked in a sharp breath, pleased with what he saw underneath him. Seonghwa was beautiful, almost ethereal, and the Pirate King couldn’t believe that someone so skilled and so out of this world was his. “I’ve got you,” Hongjoong whispered, trailing his kisses down Seonghwa’s neck and adding a new cluster of love bites to the ones that were nice and dark. He could stand to be less ravenous when it came to showing his husband how much he loved him, but he couldn’t help himself. Everyone had to know that Seonghwa was his… and that he was Seonghwa’s.

No matter how many times they did this, no matter how many times Hongjoong filled him up, Seonghwa felt as if he could never live without the feeling. Although he was still a little sore from their earlier tryst, Seonghwa keened as Hongjoong bottomed out. His long fingers tightly gripped at the Pirate King’s forearms, digging in hard enough to leave bruises - he knew how much Hongjoong loved to receive marks, not just content with giving them out.

“Talk to me, Hwa,” Hongjoong asked breathlessly, raising a shaky hand brush Seonghwa’s matted hair away from his face. “Are you all right?”

Dazedly, Seonghwa realized that he’d been asked something; he’d allowed himself to float a little too high on the sensation of Hongjoong shifting inside of him and the weight pressing down on him. “I’m good,” he choked out, wrapping his long legs around Hongjoong’s waist, his heels digging in in the divot just before his ass. “Hard, please?”

A whine left Seonghwa’s lips as Hongjoong shook his head, stealing a soft and surprisingly chaste kiss from his husband. “I said I was going to show you how much you belong at my side, in _our_ bed,” Hongjoong replied seriously, his voice rough with desire.

He shifted, getting himself stabilized and taking the opportunity to take Seonghwa’s hands in his and pin them beside his love’s head. How he loved seeing Seonghwa’s eyes flutter shut at the gesture, hear his breath hitch and feeling how tight and hot he was around him. That Seonghwa felt he didn’t belong on the _Horizon…_ Hongjoong wasn’t going to rest until he proved to his husband that he _did_ belong.

Something Hongjoong always did that Seonghwa wasn’t sure he was aware of was that the Pirate King always moved to the flow of the sea. Every movement, every push, every pull was to the sea’s pace. Seonghwa loved it, loved how they moved to the ebb of the deep waters, how the salt air piercing through the opened window mixed with Hongjoong’s natural scent and his spice-filled cologne. All he could feel, all he could smell and hear was Hongjoong, overwhelming all of his senses and heightening the pleasure he was desperately chasing.

“I love you,” Hongjoong whispered against Seonghwa’s ear, teeth grazing against the multitude of piercings that lined the Lieutenant’s ear. “Hwa — Seonghwa, do you hear me? I love you. _Only_ you… beautiful, talented Park Seonghwa… the Goddess chose you for me, and me for you. Do you understand?”

“Y-Yes,” Seonghwa breathed, nudging Hongjoong’s face so he could kiss him, driven by the intense need to taste his husband, all manner of thought of his duty to the Crown forgotten.

Hongjoong bit Seonghwa’s bottom lip, sinful in the way he sucked on it, relishing in the Lieutenant’s moans. A devilish grin came to the Pirate King’s kiss-bitten lips, now hitting his husband’s prostate with each thrust - a tell-tale sign that he was close to his climax. Seonghwa whined high in the back of his throat, dragging his blunted nails down his husband’s well muscled back.

“Say it!” Hongjoong hissed, kissing Seonghwa breathless again as his hips snapped forward with relentless pressure. “Say it, Seonghwa!”

Too far gone to be worried about the crew hearing them, Seonghwa blinked away the hot tears that pricked at his eyes, squeezing Hongjoong’s hands back tightly. “I love you,” he confessed, the last syllable morphing into a cry of pleasure as he came, followed shortly by his Pirate King husband. “I… I love you…”

And in that moment, Park Seonghwa sealed his fate.


	2. We Hiss at the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> San is a man of many mysteries, changing his name as easily as he changes his clothes. But there's one thing he can't truly escape - a pirate by the name of Jung Wooyoung. 
> 
> When the HORIZON finally docks in the pirate haven of Tortuga, Hongjoong makes an earth-shattering announcement.

If there was one thing Choi San was thankful for, it was how easily Jung Wooyoung got jealous. Ever since Seonghwa came on board the _Horizon_ and became Hongjoong’s second-in-command, Wooyoung had been attached at the hip to the ship’s eldest. With so much of Seonghwa’s attention being taken up by his duties and more importantly by Hongjoong, Wooyoung was feeling put out and San got to reap the benefits.

He let out a soft, pleased hum of a moan, rolling his hips up from where he was pinned to his bed with a flushed Wooyoung bearing down on him. “What’s the matter?” San murmured, delighting at the hiss of pleasure that escaped Wooyoung when he tightened around the younger man. “You were so forceful a moment ago. Did you run out of steam? Or…” He leaned up to lick at the piercings on Wooyoung’s right ear. “Are you thinking about how the Captain is having his way with your dear Seonghwa-hyung right now?” 

It was so easy to egg Wooyoung on sometimes. San loved the black-haired man’s pout and the determination that would soon flash in his eyes at being challenged. He saw it now, Wooyoung’s sharp eyes bright with indignation at having that deep secret voiced aloud. It was cute, San thought, how he thought he was being secretive about it. A part of him, however, was annoyed that Wooyoung’s attention was constantly elsewhere and perhaps the metaphorical pigtail pulling was his way of getting the beautiful pirate’s attention back on _him_.

“Shut up!” Wooyoung hissed, snapping his hips forward sharply, a smirk on his wine-stained lips as he watched San’s own lips slacken from pleasure. “Trying to get me riled up on purpose? You look like a cat that drank all the cream.”

San licked his lips, not even bothering to hide his self-satisfied smirk. “If it gets me what I want…” he trailed off and leaned up, capturing Wooyoung’s lips in a deep kiss, revelling in the faint taste of red wine that lingered on the pirate’s lips. His fingers flexed and dug into Wooyoung’s inky black hair, moaning a bit louder than intended when the younger man started attacking San’s neck in earnest. “What do _you_ want, Wooyoung?”

A soft growl imprinted itself from Wooyoung’s mouth to San’s neck, and he keened at the feeling. “I want you to fuck my brains out after I’m done with you,” Wooyoung whispered through gritted teeth, “I don’t need to be up until midday. I don’t want to even _walk_ when I get up.”

“So wound up…” San whispered back, voice faltering just enough to let a bit of true emotion slip in - he was always weak to Wooyoung. “Stop worrying so much about Seonghwa-hyung and the Captain… you have me right now. Isn’t that enough?”

Something in San’s tone seemed to snap Wooyoung out of whatever spiral he had been free falling into, and San inwardly cursed; he’d let too much out. He’d told Seonghwa to watch himself and here he was making the same mistake. “After how long it took for you to come back?” Wooyoung mumbled against San’s neck, sucking a dark, deep bruise against his jugular. “I don’t know why you just don’t admit it already…”

“Admit what?” San breathed, eyes fluttering shut as Wooyoung picked his pace back up, having learned San’s body so, so well.

Wooyoung stole the rest of his breath away with a kiss, sinful hips moving in time with San’s. “How much you love me.”

San tensed, his protest dying in his throat as Wooyoung mischievously decided this was the moment that he would change his pace _yet again_ , this time intent on fucking San through the mattress and into the sea. “Nngh,” he growled, eyes flashing with suppressed desire. “Just keep fucking me, Wooyoung,” he muttered, pulling the other pirate down for a messy kiss.

They were always like this, pushing and pulling, dancing a dance that had no end in sight. They were always bound to one another, pulling away to lavish affection on others, just to see what the other would do. It was childish, it was dangerous, and worst of all, San loved it. Nothing was more interesting to him than figuring out the mess of emotions and contradictions that was Jung Wooyoung.

He groaned as Wooyoung nosed at his neck, hot breath huffing out at sensitive, flushed and bruised skin. “You’re always like this,” Wooyoung muttered, hands pinning San’s wrists to the bed on either side of his head, the old, sea-hewn wood creaking loudly as they moved. “Why won’t you ever just _admit it_ , San?”

If he only knew why San couldn’t admit it. Too many secrets to keep, no one to tell them to. It was the life he chose, and San hadn’t regretted it once… until he realized how in love he was with Wooyoung. “Stay in the moment with me,” San whispered, not trusting his voice to go any higher, surprisingly calm despite the building fire swirling within him, around his heart. “I’m… I’m almost there. Then I’ll do everything you want.”

“Everything?” Wooyoung was a walking masterclass in being sinful and mischievous one moment and innocent and hopeful the next. San had been sure that the trickster gods, the Fey, created Wooyoung just to fuck with him. They must have. San hissed as Wooyoung passed a series of languid kisses to the ever present bandage around San’s right forearm. “What if… what I want is for you to stop running?”

“Might as well ask Umberlee herself if you can stop the tide from turning,” San huffed out, sweat beading at his temples as Wooyoung’s aim suddenly got a hell of a lot better. “Ah, _fuck!_ ”

He could feel Wooyoung’s smirks against his forearm and he bit at the bandage, a flash of defiance and sinful confidence colouring his beautiful features. He gave a bit of a tug to the bandage, almost revelling in the dangerous glare that San shot him; he knew how much San did not want that bandage off, but yet still he persisted. This was the stubborn fool that San loved, deep down to the core of his being.

Not that he was going to ever tell Wooyoung that.

It’d leave a thread loose that was too vulnerable. He wouldn’t be able to bear it, having something so precious out there where anybody could find it and exploit it. San had made a career out of finding those very things out about people - from the lowest lowlife to someone the calibre of Brigadier General Kim Namjoon. San was going to be damned if that happened to him.There was no way in hell he was going to let anybody get the best of him.

Even if it was the love of his life.

“ _Don’t_ ,” San warned, his voice rough and thick with barely constrained pleasure.

“ _Come for me_ ,” Wooyoung shot back, the smirk curling his kiss-bitten lips. He raised his eyebrows and dove down, sucking ravenously at the sensitive piercings on San’s left ear - the Gods damn Jung Wooyoung, he knew just where San was the most sensitive. As much as he tried to hold on just to stave off giving Wooyoung the satisfaction, San knew he couldn’t and climaxed with a low groan, swallowed up by a kiss. A kiss that didn’t last too long as Wooyoung himself followed quickly afterwards, blunted fingernails digging into San’s toned skin.

San groaned, eyes fluttering shut as he allowed himself the brief moment of bliss. Wooyoung’s breathing evened out against his sex-flushed skin, his grip on San’s wrists loosening so that he could instead cup San’s face in his hands and kiss him slowly, almost lovingly. Wooyoung was always touchy-feely after sex, and he wasn’t sure when, but after a while San began to look forward to it. But only for a moment; he couldn’t afford more than that.

“You feel incredible,” Wooyoung whispered thickly, trailing his kisses up San’s neck to his mouth, capturing it in another lazy kiss, “mm? Don’t tell me that I fucked you so well that you don’t feel up to returning the favour.”

The older man snorted and shook his head, taking his now freed hands to rake one of the through his sweat-dampened hair. “So _chatty_ ,” San muttered, sliding his hands down Wooyoung’s toned sides and giving his ass a firm squeeze. “You just came and now you want me to fuck you? So greedy.”

“Maybe I am,” Wooyoung retorted, stealing another kiss. “You’ve been ignoring me too much lately so I’ve had to bother Seonghwa-hyung.”

San arched an eyebrow, the one that had a scar that ran down just to the lid of his right eye. “So the whole reason you’ve been attached like a snapping turtle to the Lieutenant is because you wanted _my_ attention?”

Wooyoung pouted at him, sulkily nipping at San’s jawline. It was a little habit of his, as if the only way he knew how to respond was to bite and nip at the person that was his current target. He could clearly remember hearing Mingi complain for 24 hours straight about how Wooyoung wouldn’t stop _nibbling_ on him when he’d finished off the last of their rum reserve. “Maybe,” Wooyoung petulantly answered. “But who was the one that was bragging about how quickly they could get it back up no matter how hard I fucked them?”

Rolling his eyes, San huffed out a put-upon breath before easily reversing their positions. Wooyoung’s smug look was replaced by one of pure shock and _oh_ , how San loved it. Loved _him_. The pirate’s black hair fanned out on San’s pillow like a starburst, and San was tired of lying to himself… he could allow himself a little more selfishness. Gently, almost _too_ gently, he leaned down and placed soft kisses down Wooyoung’s left eyebrow, kissing down to the little moles no one could see but San before stopping at the younger man’s mouth. His eyes didn’t miss how Wooyoung’s lips quivered, desperate for his kisses.

“Look how good you are for me,” San murmured hotly, licking his own lips in anticipation. Blindly, he reached over to the side, pulling a cloth out of a small bowl they had set aside for just this instance. “Is this what you wanted, Wooyoung…? For me to take care of you? Make sure that everybody above deck knows that you’re mine?”

This was dangerous territory, but he was at the end of his rope and at the other end of it was in Wooyoung’s tight grip. “Yes,” Wooyoung breathed, arching his back off the bed as San took his sweet time running the damp rag along his body. Once Wooyoung was clean, the younger pirate looked up and watched with hooded eyes and rising heart rate as San ran the cloth along his much more muscular frame. “Gods, just _fuck me_ , San!”

San sucked on his teeth, lightly flicking the dirty rag at Wooyoung’s face, snickering when the younger pirate yelped in disgust. He tossed the rag into the bowl, ignoring the loud splash it made as it sank to the bottom of the bowl. “So _needy_ ,” San chastised as he plucked the amber toned bottle from where it’d been folded into the sheets, pulling the cork off with a loud pop. He smirked seeing Wooyoung shiver in anticipation, and leaned down, dragging the oil-soaked end of the cork drag along Wooyoung’s lips before fastening the bottle and dropping it to the side on the bed. “Why don’t we put that mouth to good use?”

He’d fight it tooth and nail, only admitting it when he was dead, but San knew that Wooyoung loved it when San talked to him like this. Wooyoung liked to fight, liked to instigate it until he got the attention he craved. It’s part of what made him such a good pirate, and one of the best people to take on the first wave of a raid. Hongjoong made good use of Wooyoung’s ability to rile people up on both sides of the boarding party, usually pairing him with Yunho and Mingi and affectionally calling them the banshees.

Wooyoung’s eyes narrowed in the dim light and he sucked his teeth, a pout curling his swollen lips. Lips that San wanted around his cock as soon as possible. But he knew the game they played, the game that, perhaps, became their love language. Who would break first? Usually it was Wooyoung, but if the younger pirate played his cards right, it could easily be San tonight. “If you were so desperate for my mouth, you could just ask, Sannie.”

“It’s been a while,” San replied with faux concern, “I didn’t want to push you.”

That was a risky play; Wooyoung was prideful but he was also a bit sensitive when it came to people’s perception of him. Others would say that Wooyoung was too pretty and too scrawny to be any good at being a pirate, but San and more importantly, Hongjoong thought differently. Although he had the confidence of the Pirate King, San knew that Wooyoung pushed himself to go above and beyond to shut _everyone_ up.

Wooyoung’s eyes flashed with indignation before realization struck and he smirked at the older man. “Don’t want to push me, huh? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing, Choi San.”

“And what am I doing, Jung Wooyoung?” San asked in the same tone, pushing himself up to his knees, half bent over the pirate. His hands rested on the headboard, carved from some wood maker on the mainland, re-appropriated by the _Horizon_ some years ago. “I’m only giving you what you want. So take it.”

He could see Wooyoung’s cheeks hollow as he clenched his jaw, obviously weighing the options of whether or not it was worth it to continue the game. Instead of answering, Wooyoung placed his hands on San’s toned thighs, running his calloused palms up the tan skin and giving himself a ‘reward’ by squeezing the other pirate’s ass. Before San could say anything, Wooyoung took him whole into his mouth, working him hard right out the gate.

A strangled groan wrought itself out of San’s throat, and he gripped the headboard so tightly that he could hear the wood whine. Wooyoung’s mouth was wickedly skilled, and when he was motivated, he could easily make San come within minutes. San choked back another moan when he felt Wooyoung’s middle finger slip between his cheeks and teasingly rub at his sensitive rim. “ _Wooyoung_ ,” he warned, though he was well aware that his voice was thoroughly wrecked and had no bite in it what-so-ever.

Wooyoung hummed in response, the vibrations sinfully sweet against his rapidly hardening cock. He never pushed his finger in, only teasing San’s entrance as he relished in the sounds he was able to wring from the older pirate. Mercifully, he slowly eased off the other man’s length and licked his lips with a smirk. “You were about to come. Can’t have that.”

San snorted, trying his damnedest not to look as close to being fucked out as he felt. Wooyoung was far too good at barrelling past his defences and setting up camp there. “You’re really pushing your luck, you know.”

“Maybe I want to see what happens when you lose control,” Wooyoung shot back, getting himself comfortable on the bed and pushing a pillow underneath his hips. “You’re always so damn quiet and calm; I hate it. I want to see what happens when you give in.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” San countered, using the time in between their banter to get control of himself. “You still have duties to complete tomorrow before we reach Tortuga. Do you want to have to explain to the Captain how your mouth got you into trouble again?”

Wooyoung scoffed and pulled San down for a wickedly passionate kiss; it was obvious how much he loved riling San up. “Quit stalling and fuck me. — or are you too tired?”

“Brat,” San hissed, deftly pushing Wooyoung’s toned legs apart as he snatched up the bottle of oil. “If you want to be ruined, so be it.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Wooyoung breathed, writhing against the sheets as San worked him open, fingers rough with intent. “Mhn, _yes_ , like this… I want you like this, San… not hiding anything now, are you?”

(I’m always hiding something,) San thought darkly, and although he was intent on making Wooyoung eat his words, the other man didn’t go as roughly as he could have. He couldn’t hurt Wooyoung like that, not unless he explicitly said so. There was a line, and he wouldn’t cross it. San had crossed so many other lines in the year that he’d been aboard the _Horizon_ , but that was one he would never approach.

He loved Wooyoung too much.

“Gods, just … hurry!” Wooyoung whined, biting his bottom lip.

“Shut up,” San ordered, clapping a hand soundly to Wooyoung’s thigh. A higher-pitched whine left the pirate, and San raised an eyebrow. “So it _is_ a kink with you.”

Wooyoung huffed out a disgruntled sound. “If you don’t hurry up, I’m going to Jongho; I _know_ he can pick me up and fuck me against the — nngh! Yes!” He breathed in relief as San finally pushed inside. “Gods, you feel so _good_.”

San snorted, willing down the blush that would threaten to blow his cover. Instead, he grasped Wooyoung’s hands in his, pinning them beside his head as he began a relentlessly strong pace. It was even, it was hard, and it was laser-guided to Wooyoung’s most sensitive spot. If Wooyoung wanted to see what it was like when San lost control… San would give it to him. He’d allow himself the chance to give into his most selfish desire. His lips latched onto Wooyoung’s marked up neck, adding more darkening bites right at the spot the younger pirate was most sensitive. How responsive and _loud_ his love was… San could listen to Wooyoung’s moans and gasps for an eternity.

 _You could have this for an eternity if you stopped getting in your own way_ , a little voice whispered to him.

San shook his head; he couldn’t give in like that. There was too much on the line, too many lies he’d told, too many lives he’d lived, too many names he’d adopted as his own. He wasn’t even sure if San really was his name or another one of the many identities he’d pretended were his over the years. The realest thing in his life was Jung Wooyoung, and San knew that it wasn’t going to last. His duty wouldn’t allow it.

But he could allow himself this moment.

He watched with rapt attention as Wooyoung hurtled towards his climax, chanting San’s name over and over like it was a prayer and San was the altar he knelt at. When it was all over, this would be the moment that San would keep with him in the lonely nights, in the cold of his true reality. Wooyoung came with a cry, and San’s hips stilled as he realized that hidden within that cry were three words: _I love you_.

That was all it took for San to barrel over the edge alongside Wooyoung, holding him as tight as humanly possible. His hands would leave bruises on Wooyoung’s wrists, no doubt leading to insurmountable teasing at the hands of the crew when they awoke the next day. San swallowed and pressed a kiss to Wooyoung’s swollen lips, whispering something barely audible against the lips he loved so much.

Quietly, San pulled out and slid off the bed, dutifully getting a cleaner cloth and cleaning up both Wooyoung and himself. He was about to tell Wooyoung that he was going to get some fresh air when the younger pirate grabbed him by the arm and pulled him onto the bed with surprising strength. When San stared at him with wide eyes, Wooyoung pouted at him. “You’re sleeping here tonight,” was all he said before snuggling close and latching onto San like a snapping turtle with its food.

Deep inside himself, San’s heart, which had been pushed deep down and locked away with so many different chains and locks that the older man wasn’t sure if there was a way to it anymore, began to stir.

He’d always be weak when it came to Jung Wooyoung.

He just hoped it wouldn’t kill them.

~ * ~

By the time San dragged himself (and Wooyoung) out of bed hours later, the ship was in full swing and that included being the loudest group of people known to man. Things always got a bit crazy when they were near land; spend too much time out at sea and one could easily catch the sea madness and go batty.

A tired smile came to his lips as he watched Yunho, Mingi, Yeosang and Jongho sing a sea shanty, doing their best to try and rope Seonghwa into it. Hongjoong was watching from his perch at the wheel of the ship, crooked smile on his lips and a bottle of rum in hand. It took all of three seconds after Wooyoung processed what was happening before he joined in the shanty, dragging Seonghwa over by the wrist and feeding him lines to a song the Lieutenant already knew.

Quietly, San made his way up to Hongjoong, who offered him a sip from the rum bottle. “No thanks,” he declined politely.

Hongjoong smirked as he shoved the bottle’s mouth past San’s lips and tipped it, forcing the younger pirate to take a sip. San’s sharp eyes narrowed, but he allowed it as it would be suicidal to go against the Captain even in a jovial thing like this. “Little bit of rum in the morning never killed anyone,” he replied blithely.

“No, the scurvy would get us first,” San muttered.

The Pirate King of the Seven Seas threw his head back and laughed, a lighter, airier sound than one would have expected given his rough exterior. But San knew that the theatrics were largely that, theatrics; Hongjoong was an honourable man, and ran his ship tight and by the book. The only people that got no quarter were liars and scoundrels. They were criminals, but they were honourable ones. San was never quite sure if it truly worked like that, but it was the creed Hongjoong had lived by and if Umberlee herself blessed him, who was someone like San to disagree?

“What is banging around in that head of yours, Choi San?” Hongjoong asked idly. “You look as if you were asked a riddle by the fey.”

San snorted. “Are you still planning on doing what you’re doing when we arrive in Tortuga?” he asked softly, his voice barely audible amongst the loud crashing of the waves against the body of the _Horizon_.

Hongjoong’s expression shifted from jovial to serious and he gave a slight inclination of his head, the trinkets from various conquests and adventures woven into his long hair jingling slightly at the motion. “Now’s the time.”

“… is now the best time? It goes without saying that our dear friends are keeping a tight eye on you; they’ve been trying to find you for some time, is it smart to lead them _there?_ ” San murmured.

“You’re right, it _does_ go without saying,” Hongjoong replied, glancing at San out of the corner of his eye.

San inclined his head slightly. “My apologies, Captain.”

The Pirate King’s expression was unreadable as he watched Seonghwa finally break down and sing along with the shanty, blowing the rest of them out of the water with his voice. “Brigadier General Kim Namjoon can try his luck, if he feels so bold,” Hongjoong said, taking another swig from the bottle. “But the time is now. He’s ready.”

Following the Pirate King’s eye line to Seonghwa, San turned his head slightly to regard Hongjoong. “I hope you’re right.”

The older pirate gave a firm nod and shifted his positioning behind the wheel. “Get your asses in gear!” he suddenly yelled, his clear voice carrying out over the ship and breaking the rest of the crew out of their revelry. “We’re hours out from Tortuga and I know those self-important fucks at the docks are going to try to screw us. Get everything together!”

“Aye, aye!” the crew answered, saluting firmly before breaking away and attending to their assigned duties. They knew docking protocol like the backs of their hands, and San was always impressed how most of the time, they did their work without having been asked to; it spoke to the respect and the power of Hongjoong’s command.

San inclined his head and bowed deeply. “By your leave, Captain,” he said before receiving Hongjoong’s permission to join the others. As he passed by Seonghwa, he caught the Lieutenant’s arm, “keep your eyes peeled in Tortuga.”

Seonghwa’s eyes narrowed and for a moment, San saw the thought cross the older man’s eyes as to whether or not to question him. But Seonghwa knew better and he wordlessly nodded before extricating himself from San’s hold and going to help Yeosang with the ship’s manifest. Since Seonghwa had taken control of the ship’s administrative matters and more importantly the paperwork, docking had been a breeze but Tortuga always liked to flex its authority… or what it perceived to be its authority.

Everyone knew that the ultimate authority amongst pirates lay with Kim Hongjoong.

Tortuga was one of the few purely pirate cities, run with a surprising amount of efficiency considering that it was run by criminals. The governing body was beholden to the High Council, and deference was always given to those that sat in those seats, with the highest deference going to Hongjoong as the King. But that didn’t stop from insubordination from those not directly on his crew from cropping up. San wondered if it was a way to try and make their miserable lives better. 

The sooner they realized that as long as Hongjoong had Umberlee’s blessing, there was no way anybody else was going to sniff at his power, the better it was for their longevity. Even those on the High Council who would have a legitimate gripe as to Hongjoong’s seat at the top weren’t bothered; they knew that working together with the Pirate King was critical for their survival. Their power was already considerable, San supposed, so what did they truly have to lose?

San’s nose wrinkled as the stench of the city hit him like a fish to the face, and he shuddered. Mingi put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “It’s a special kind of repugnant isn’t it?” he asked sympathetically. “I can’t get used to it either.”

“It’s like they choose the docks to put all the shit pots out at,” San muttered, sticking his tongue out slightly.

Yunho waved a hand in front of his face. “It’s not like we smell like fresh daises either,” he pointed out. “Maybe like daises that have been buried in Davey Jones’ locker for a century if I’m being generous.”

“The sooner I can get off this goddamn boat and into a bath, is not a moment too soon,” Yeosang grumbled, raking a hand through his chin-length hair. “We _reek_.”

“You’ve been offending my senses since we set sail,” Wooyoung snickered, hiding behind San when Yeosang pulled his fist back in retaliation.

Seonghwa rolled his eyes as Hongjoong navigated the _Horizon_ into the docks, easily bypassing another vessel that was aiming for the same spot. The _Black Swan_ was the fastest ship on the Caribbean, but the _Horizon_ had the best maneuvering. The _Levanter_ was the strongest and the _XII_ the best at concealment.

Once the ship docked and the ramp and anchor were secured, Seonghwa stepped off the _Horizon_ alongside Hongjoong, predictably met by the harbour master and his underlings. “You know the rules,” the harbour master pointed out, his voice impressively condescending. “Manifest and harbour fee. It’s gone up now; there’s been increased Crown activity around Tortuga and we’ve had to beef up security… word got around that you were coming _majesty_.”

“The manifest,” Seonghwa replied softly, holding out the rolled up piece of parchment.

“And the harbour fee?” the harbour master implored haughtily, poking Seonghwa in the chest.

Seonghwa raised a fine eyebrow, gaze sharp and lips curled into a dismissive frown. San was honestly impressed at how easily Seonghwa could get someone ground under the heel of his boot. He wondered if it was part of the reason Hongjoong was attracted to him so. Leaning down as the harbour master was quite a bit shorter than Seonghwa, the Lieutenant’s voice never raised above a low register. “You are a smart man, not just anyone can become and remain Harbour Master of Tortuga,” Seonghwa started slowly, each and every one of his words chosen with precision. “I trust that a smart man such as yourself is aware of the Code.”

The harbour master’s eyes widened and he swallowed; he knew where Seonghwa was going with this. “I know the Code. But there is a fee to upkeep the harbour and with the unexpected arrival of the King, we need to—”

Seonghwa’s eyes narrowed and the harbour master yelped, jumping back as if branded with a hot iron. “You _need_ to remember the Code. So long as he is the King, so long as he is blessed by the Sea Goddess Umberlee, Captain Hongjoong and his crew do not pay these _fees_. I trust this is the only time you’ll need such a refresher, Harbour Master. If I need to repeat myself again…”

“N-No, Lieutenant!” the harbour master trembled, turning on his heel and scurrying away. “The King’s vessel is here! Get everything in order you layabouts!”

Jongho let out a low whistle. “That was impressive, Lieutenant. You didn’t even raise your voice.”

“He doesn’t need to,” Hongjoong said proudly, placing a hand on Seonghwa’s shoulder. “That is the power of the _Horizon’s_ Siren.” Turning around to regard his crew, he nodded once to them. “Get yourselves cleaned up and all of your duties completed. Report to Seonghwa and I; we’ll be at _The Mermaid’s Wail_ once we’ve finished… paying our respects.”

“Oh is that what the kids are calling it nowadays,” Yunho murmured, prompting Mingi to bite back a giggle. He grinned brightly when Hongjoong shot him a warning look - though it quickly dissolved into the Captain’s trademark smirk.

A sudden crashing of glass against a hard surface broke them out of their revelry and Hongjoong raised an eyebrow as a group of half-in-the-bag pirates sauntered up to them, led by their Captain. “Kim Hongjoong! I’m challengin’ you!”

Hongjoong’s eyebrow raised higher before his lips curled into a devilish smirk. San put a hand over his eyes and sighed heavily; the dumbest thing anybody could do was directly challenge Hongjoong to a fight. Seonghwa seemed to be on the same wavelength, eyes glancing heavenward as if for a sign not to lose his sanity. “Oh yeah?” Hongjoong asked, unsheathing his black blade and running his tongue along its flat edge. “Challenge _accepted_ , Johannes. I hope you made your final preparations.”

“There’s no need to kill them,” Seonghwa murmured, leaning in to whisper into Hongjoong’s ear. “It’s more of a punishment if they’re left to deal with the shame of their loss.”

The smirk on the Pirate King’s lips widened and he nodded. “Reading my mind as always, my love,” he answered softly. “Make sure the kids know.”

Seonghwa nodded once and slipped back under the guise of letting Hongjoong start the brawl himself and leaned over to the rest of the crew who were straightened up and attentive as soon as the Lieutenant approached them. “Non-lethal hits,” Seonghwa instructed, his voice barely raising above the lower register. “Leave them with a reminder of why they don’t challenge us but _do not_ kill them. Understood?” Wordlessly, the crew nodded. “Good. You’ve got free rein otherwise but I want this finished quickly.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Yeosang murmured, his favourite needle daggers dancing between his nimble fingers.

Yunho cracked his knuckles. “Been a while since we got into a good scrap. How are we feeling about bruises to the face? Missing teeth okay?”

Wooyoung made a face. “It’d probably be an improvement.”

“Wait for the Captain’s signal,” Seonghwa said flatly, not bothering responding to neither Yeosang’s statement or Yunho’s question.

Within seconds of Hongjoong raising his blade, the crew of the _Horizon_ , led by Yunho, Mingi and Wooyoung leapt into the fray like a tide crashing into the rocks. Not a single one of them used their swords, instead opting for their secondary weapons - smaller daggers (Yeosang), brandishing their pistols like clubs (Wooyoung and Jongho), and their own fists (Mingi and Yunho). It wasn’t a surprise when the brawl drew a crowd; it was rare to see the crew of the _Horizon_ involved in one that lasted more than a few minutes.

San stayed to the back, picking off any stragglers with Yeosang that weren’t immediately taken to task by Yunho, Jongho and Mingi’s combined strength or distracted by Wooyoung’s unorthodox fighting techniques. He had to give it to Captain Johannes and his crew; they were stubborn as a bag of rocks and didn’t know when to quit even when they were clearly outmatched. This seemed to be a point of pride for them.

When it seemed that the _Horizon’s_ crew were ‘playing with their food’ too much, San saw Seonghwa move from his spot out of the fray and pull on a pair of black leather gloves inlaid with expensive looking gold thread along the knuckles and wrist. San’s eyes widened; how long had it been since he last saw Seonghwa engaged in hand-to-hand combat? The Lieutenant preferred to stay to the sidelines, letting the ship’s bruisers take care of any inelegant business, whether it be on the _Euphoria_ or on the _Horizon_. (He must really be annoyed with how long this is taking,) San thought.

Seonghwa in battle was a work of art, San didn’t care if anybody thought otherwise. The Lieutenant moved with brutal elegance, a long wisp of black moving through bodies as smooth as silk - if silk could pack a punch that crushed a windpipe on impact. Within seconds, the only people left standing were Hongjoong and his crew. Straightening up to his full height, Seonghwa flicked the blood of Captain Johannes off his gloves and raked a hand through his raven black hair.

“I told you to finish this quickly,” Seonghwa said, lips pursed in vague disgust. Not a speck of blood landed on him save for what had been on his gloves, and he looked over at the stunned crew with a raised eyebrow. “Quit gawking. Don’t you have work to do?”

Not wanting the Lieutenant’s wrath to fall upon them, the crew quickly nodded and saluted, dispersing through the crowd and into Tortuga proper, leaving only San, Hongjoong and Seonghwa amongst the remnants of Seonghwa’s entrance into the brawl. “Looks like the Captain’s got some personal recommendations for you, so I’m going to head off and touch base with my contacts here,” San said, not missing the fiery look in Hongjoong’s eyes. “I’ll see you two at _The Mermaid’s Wail_.”

“—San,” Hongjoong interjected, his eyes not moving from Seonghwa’s as he tossed a little black bag to the second mate, which San caught with ease. “Make sure that gets where it needs to go.”

Glancing down at the silken pouch, San nodded slowly. “Right away, Captain.” Not wanting to stick around while Hongjoong was eye-fucking Seonghwa like that out in the open, San nodded once and disappeared into Tortuga like the good crew mate he was. As he moved through the drunken and lively patrons of the pirate town, San licked his chapped lips. (Seonghwa-hyung’s either getting too good at being a pirate or he’s made a decision one way or another with regards to the mission,) he thought as he weaved in and out of the crowd.

As he passed a pirate with draped in black with vibrant dark purple hair and a bright red scar down his right eye, San shifted and palmed the bag, handing it off to the man with nary a glance in his direction. He could feel something slip into his other pocket as the man walked past, never once breaking his long stride. A blond man with wide eyes and a surprisingly deep voice was talking animatedly to the man with the scar, providing a good screen for the hand-off.

Exactly twenty paces ahead, San curled his fingers around the object placed in his pocket by the man, and unrolled the parchment which concealed a smooth piece of serpentine stone with the Goddess Umberlee’s mark etched on it.

 _Our dear friend is here. Spotted less than an hour ago.  
_ _-Bang Chan_

San’s expression didn’t change as he slipped the stone into his pocket and slid the tiny piece of parchment up his sleeve, hidden beneath the fashionable leather band around his left wrist with a deft flick of his fingers. The rest of his errands were fairly pedestrian but no less important, and soon San found himself slipping into _The Mermaid’s Wail_ , forever filled to the brim with boisterous patrons with the rum forever flowing.

By the time San had arrived, the rest of the crew had finished their errands and were already well on their way to celebrating not only their win over the foolhardy Captain Johannes, but to surviving thus far. San slipped in beside Wooyoung, and nodded his thanks as Mingi slid a huge glass of rum towards him. “What took you so long?” Wooyoung asked, lips forever in a pout.

“My errands take a bit more finesse than what you’re tasked with,” San replied with a smirk, taking a light sip of the spiced rum. Wooyoung let out a wounded yowl and punched San in the upper arm, only to draw his hand back and grumble, seeing as how he hit nothing but pure muscle.

“Listen up!” Hongjoong exclaimed, slamming his own tankard down onto the table, getting his crew’s attention. “We didn’t just come here to celebrate that we lasted this long on the _Horizon’s_ anniversary. No, I made the decision to come to Tortuga because I have an announcement; one that needed a proper venue.”

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow, catching San’s eyes with a quizzical expression in his eyes. San merely shrugged and inclined his head for the Lieutenant to return his attention back to the Pirate King. Seonghwa’s eyes narrowed slightly, not buying for one second that San had no idea what was going to happen. There were times San wondered just how much the Queen’s Siren had figured out about him; if it was more than he wanted, Seonghwa sure knew how to keep his mouth shut. There was nothing more dangerous than a noble man who’d felt he’d been wronged, and San was careful not to get on Seonghwa’s bad side.

“If it’s that you and the Lieutenant are hitched, we were there,” Yeosang said, leaning back with a confused expression on his face. “You needed six witnesses.”

Hongjoong snorted. “Smartass. No. The High Council will be meeting soon to determine who will fill the seat left by the old Bastard Duke.” He took a deep drink from his glass, and set it down, tapping his ring adorned fingers against the dirtied glass. “I’m going to nominate Seonghwa.”

Seonghwa choked on his drink, barely able to get the liquid down the right pipe before staring at Hongjoong like the Pirate King had grown six heads. “Are you out of your _mind?_ ”

“On paper, you have everything a High Council member should have,” Hongjoong answered, unbothered by the exclamation. “Plus, the Council will be pleased there will be _someone_ that has my ear and with Umberlee’s blessing, you’re essentially a shoo-in. I would like to see them nominate someone who fits the role better than you, Seonghwa.”

“Captain, there is no way the High Council is going to accept that —”

Pushing himself up and handily ignoring Seonghwa’s panicked protests, Hongjoong raised his glass as the excited chatter filled their table once more. “Let’s raise a toast as loud as thunder! Raise your glasses over your heads, as high as they can be seen from anywhere! Nothing will stop the _Horizon_ and her crew!” His voice was loud, clear and passionate, sweeping up the crew in his fervour.

“AYE!”

San raised his glass in solidarity, but his eyes were pulled away by something out in the corner of the boisterous pub. His eyes briefly widened as he caught sight of a handsome young man dressed in unassuming dark brown garb, his tri-corner hat angled downwards so it covered most of his face. The man pressed the mouth of his glass to his plush lips as his razor sharp eyes scanned the pub, soon making direct eye contact with San.

It was Brigadier General Kim Namjoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH SHI --


	3. Lift the Flag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as Seonghwa tries to process Hongjoong’s intention to nominate him to the High Council, Brigadier General Kim Namjoon makes his presence felt. 
> 
> Where does Seonghwa’s loyalty and heart lie?

Tortuga never slept, and it was both a blessing and a curse as Seonghwa exited _The Mermaid’s Wail_ to get some fresh air. The party was showing no signs of stopping inside, and it was all Seonghwa could do to play along before his anxiousness became too much and he had to leave. He could feel San’s eyes on him as he left, but he was tired and his heart was about to set itself on fire from the guilt of what he’d done. What he’d _been doing_.

He looked up at the night sky, littered with stars and a beautifully shining moon. The air was a bit fresher outside the tavern, but Seonghwa could smell the spice of rum splashed everywhere, manure from the horses and shit pots, and the flare of food being cooked at all hours. His senses were on fire, but his thoughts were consumed by one thing:

Hongjoong was going to nominate him to sit on the High Council of Pirates.

While the King’s vote held the most sway, a vote, no matter from whom, would not pass if the other three members of the High Council did not agree. Seonghwa felt his chest tighten as he walked down the dirt streets of Tortuga and he uselessly clawed at his shirt. He was almost one hundred percent sure that there was no way that all three members of the High Council - Jimin, Bang Chan, and Chungha - would agree to have _Seonghwa_ sit beside them. Putting aside the accusations of nepotism by the King putting his own husband on the Council, Seonghwa wasn’t a pirate. It would be plainly obvious that he didn’t belong there.

The jig would be up, Hongjoong would know that Seonghwa had been lying to him the entire time they’d known each other and he’d find himself stranded on a mosquito infested island to die of hunger or be eaten by crabs. Maybe Hongjoong would pity him and put a bullet between his eyes to put him out of his misery rather than let him languish on a deserted island. To be lied to by the one that was supposed to have your back when no one else would … Hongjoong’s rage would not be able to be contained by any Code.

And Seonghwa would deserve it all.

A hand suddenly lashed out and grabbed him, pulling him into a tight alley, hidden from view by haphazardly stacked barrels of ale and mead. Seonghwa’s eyes widened as his instincts kicked in; San had told him to keep an eye out in Tortuga and Seonghwa had allowed himself to drop his guard. His fist shot out to land a crack shot to his assailant’s throat, but was suddenly caught by a firm grip. When Seonghwa’s vision focused and he caught sight of the man’s face, his heart dropped.

It was Brigadier General Kim Namjoon.

He was dressed as a common pirate, the loose brown clothing looking as good on him as a finely pressed military uniform, but it was undoubtedly Seonghwa’s superior. Honestly, if Namjoon wasn’t such a fiercely upstanding protector of the law of the Crown, Seonghwa wondered if it would be possible to convince him to work together with Hongjoong. The thought was ludicrous and he knew it; there was no way in hell that Namjoon would agree to speak with a pirate, let alone _work together with one_.

“You’ve been quite busy,” Namjoon murmured, his infamously low voice rich in its register. Seonghwa remembered hearing the Brigadier General’s real speaking voice once and once only, when he had the unenviable job of waking the Brigadier General up from his sleep in the dead of night to inform him of a direct pirate raid on Port Royal. He usually spoke at a much higher register, citing it was easier for his orders to be understood. “The Lieutenant on the Pirate King’s favoured vessel, the King’s husband, and now I hear that you’re going to be on the High Council? You always were an overachiever, Lieutenant Commander Park.”

Seonghwa felt his throat dry out, feeling like he had been shoved out onto a tightrope walk buck naked and delirious. “Captain Kim indicated he intends to nominate me to the High Council but I don’t believe that it’s going to be successful,” Seonghwa finally answered, his voice thick. “No matter who puts forward the nomination, it won’t be successful if the other High Council members disagree.”

Namjoon hummed in acknowledgement, carefully releasing Seonghwa’s fist. “I want you to go through with it,” he said, raising his head to catch the Lieutenant Commander’s gaze.

“W-What?” Seonghwa couldn’t believe his ears.

Smoothly, Namjoon leaned back against the grimy back-alley wall, sliding his hands into his pockets as he braced himself by bending his right knee to press his heeled boot to the brick wall. “I want you to go through with the nomination,” Namjoon repeated, his dark eyes scrutinizing every single piece of his junior officer. “Let Kim Hongjoong take you to the High Council’s Brethren Court. Let him make his case to make you a member of the High Council, a part of the Court, a Pirate Lord in name and in truth.”

Seonghwa frowned. “Why? — I know that San and I have been taking longer than anticipated, but there’s a reason why the Pirate King is who he is. With the Goddess’ blessing, his power won’t be challenged and he’s sharp as a whip to boot. There’s no way to trick him.”

“You’ve found a way to,” Namjoon pointed out, his voice calm. Seonghwa tensed, his frown deepening on his lips. “And I want you to do this because I don’t want him to be aware of the raid we’ll be taking to Shipwreck Cove. While they bicker and argue about whether or not to put you on the High Council, the Royal Navy will destroy the _Black Swan_ , the _Levanter_ , the _XII_ and most importantly the _Horizon_. Without their crew, without their ships, the Pirate Lords of the High Council will crumble like parchment paper in a fire.” His eyes hardened. “And then, this ‘Golden Age of Piracy’ will be obliterated and the seas will be _safe_.”

Seonghwa’s mind reeled, and he struggled to keep his thoughts in order. Logically, everything Namjoon said tracked and was meticulously planned out; there was nothing that the Brigadier General did that was impulsive or ill-thought out. But with what Seonghwa knew of Hongjoong’s crew, his way of life, the men that followed him and the stories he’d heard from Hongjoong himself about the High Council, they were a wildly unpredictable bunch. Kim Namjoon was one of the smartest men in the Royal Navy, yes, but he acted within the black and white world of the law. Kim Hongjoong didn’t.

He swallowed thickly and shook his head. “Sir, I have to caution against this. I understand why you would attack Shipwreck Cove, why you’d strike when the most powerful pirates in the world are gathered in one spot, but they will _know_ you’re coming. They’re dangerous, unorthodox, and if their world and their men are threatened, nothing is off-limits.”

Namjoon’s eyes narrowed slightly and he pushed himself off the wall, crowding into Seonghwa’s space, his hands never once leaving his pockets. “They will not be able to withstand the full force of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy,” he said firmly. “You’d do well to remember your orders - you will bring the crew of the _Horizon_ and their King to Shipwreck Cove, and you will assist us in ensuring they are all sent to the gallows for their crimes. Am I clear?”

“Crystal,” Seonghwa forced himself to say, knowing full well that it would be suicidal to push back. Namjoon was his superior officer and he had risked everything to come here and ensure that Seonghwa knew what the plan was, and what his part in it was.

A thought occurred to him if this is what San was trying to warn him about, and for a moment, Seonghwa wondered whose side San was really on. Before Hongjoong had pulled Seonghwa to the King’s Manse to show his appreciation for the Lieutenant’s brutally elegant display in the brawl against Captain Johannes and his crew, he’d given something to San to pass on. He knew better than to ask Hongjoong what it was and he knew that San would never tell him. He was left to wonder how in the dark he was about what was going on around him, and now with Namjoon’s direct order to go through with Hongjoong’s nomination, he wondered how behind the ball he truly was.

He felt like a marionette that was being pulled in too many directions, by too many masters.

Where did his loyalty truly lie?

“Good,” Namjoon said, pulling away from Seonghwa, and turning to head down the further end of the alley. He paused, his movement halting momentarily. “Seonghwa. Please remember what side of this battle you’re on.”

With that, Seonghwa watched with rising anxiety as Brigadier Kim Namjoon, disguised in the garb of the criminals he so despised, disappeared into the dark mouth of the alley. It was no secret as to why Namjoon despised Pirates and their way of life: they were the sole reason that Namjoon had grown up an orphan, why he’d been swept up by them and put on a slaver’s ship until he was rescued by a counter-raid by the Royal Navy. Namjoon hated everything pirates stood for, and it was understandable; until a year ago, Seonghwa had the same view. His own hometown was gutted and raided by pirates, forcing him to move with people he didn’t know, escaping to Port Royal where he clawed and scraped his way up to Lieutenant Commander.

But those pirates were not the pirates he was running with now, those pirates weren’t like the one he was _married to_ now. Kim Hongjoong was a man that reminded Seonghwa of Kim Namjoon - stalwart, passionate, willing to anything and everything to ensure those he cared about were safe, that the Code he followed was followed to the letter. Seonghwa quietly pulled up the right sleeves of his jacket and his shirt, staring down at the pirate brand that marked his previously flawless skin. Curled around the brand were the blue and green wisps of Umberlee, arranged to look like a pair of cresting waves. Written in the waves was the name of his husband - Kim Hongjoong.

Seonghwa squeezed his eyes shut as he let his head fall back heavily against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting on the dirtied cobblestone of the alley’s road. His head hung forward and he caught it in his hands, blunted nails digging into his scalp. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t keep doing this to Hongjoong, to Yunho, to Mingi, to Jongho, to Wooyoung and Yeosang. He lied to their faces for over a year and it was going to get harder knowing that he was ordered carry on like nothing was different, like he didn’t know what lay ahead.

A choked sob left his lips as he hunched forward, his forehead hitting his bent knees. Seonghwa’s chest constricted as his lungs struggled to work, breathing in the dirt and spice of the air in Tortuga, filling him up with guilt and remorse. How could he face them, now that he had direct orders from Namjoon to continue on with this charade straight to Shipwreck Cove? Why were his instincts to run to Hongjoong, to tell him about the trap that was laid? It would likely end with him strung up by his neck in Tortuga’s square and he’d deserve that death, for doing what he did. For taking advantage of Hongjoong’s love, for lying to him for a year, for befriending his crew, his family, all with the express intention of guiding them all to the gallows in Port Royal.

Seonghwa was a Siren, all right.

“—Lieutenant?” The hurried scuffling of a pair of heeled boots against dirtied cobblestone broke through Seonghwa’s spiral, and he slowly lifted his head to see San running towards him before abruptly stopping and crouching down in front of him. “—Seonghwa-hyung. What happened? Are you all right? I knew you drank too much… Come on, I’ll get you back to the King’s Manse.”

“I can’t do this,” Seonghwa whispered, stopping San from helping him to his feet. “San, I can’t do this anymore.”

San raised an eyebrow but remained where he was. “What are you talking about, hyung?”

Seonghwa shook his head in dismay, tears pricking his beautiful blue eyes - eyes that Hongjoong once told him held the world in them. “This, all of this! The Brigadier General knows about Hongjoong nominating me for the High Council. H-He wants me to go through with it because the Royal Navy’s going to attack Shipwreck Cove and try to take out all the Pirate Lords at once! San, I can’t…!” He lowered his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I can’t do this to Hongjoong! To the others! But they’re direct orders… if I say anything to Hongjoong, he’s going to know I lied. But if I don’t, then I’m complicit in sending those that I care about to their deaths!”

He hadn’t heard anything from San for a very long moment, and Seonghwa wondered how much respect he’d just lost from the younger man for falling apart at such a critical moment. He was surprised, then, when he felt San’s arms come around him in a tight hug. “You know as well as I do that the Captain isn’t stupid; he’s going to know that there’s an attack waiting for him and the other Pirate Lords when the Brethren Court convenes at Shipwreck Cove,” San started slowly, his voice soft and barely audible above the perpetual boisterous din of Tortuga. “No Pirate Lord is stupid enough to go to the Court without preparations in hand.”

“No one can withstand the full force of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy!” Seonghwa protested, his voice broken and barely working. “As talented and as tough as these Pirate Lords are, Her Majesty’s Royal Navy is over 200 ships strong!” He frowned and let out another choked sob, shaking his head against San’s shirt. “And I’m… I should’ve been hanged long ago.”

He could feel San’s lips curl into a frown against his temple, and the younger man pulled back so he could get a good look at Seonghwa. “Seonghwa-hyung, you need to make a decision on what side you’re on. One way or another, a decision has to be made and you’re the only one that can make it. I can’t tell you what to do, and neither can Captain Hongjoong or Brigadier General Namjoon, or anybody else. _You’re_ the one that has to live with the decision. You need to look deep down… and think about what _Park Seonghwa_ can live with. Not what Brigadier General Kim Namjoon wants, not what Captain Kim Hongjoong the Pirate King wants… what _you_ want.”

“San…”

“Come on, I’m taking you back to the King’s Manse,” San said, hauling the taller man up with a surprising amount of strength. “You’ve got to pull yourself together or the Captain is going to definitely know that something is up.”

Seonghwa frowned at him. “How can you do this, San? How can you… tell these lies, right to people’s faces?”

San didn’t answer him right away as he helped Seonghwa out of the back alley and towards the largest building in Tortuga. “I’m not as good at it as you think,” he answered after a long bout of silence.

“You’re better than me,” Seonghwa muttered, shaking his head. “All I’ve done is make a giant mess of things. How could anyone believe in me?”

Stopping suddenly, San tightened his grip on the older man. “You make everyone want to be a better version of themselves,” San answered, glancing down at Seonghwa. “But like I said… what’s done is done. The decision you make now is the one you’re going to have to live with. You have to think fast; the Brethren Court is meeting soon.”

“…I know.”

San sighed and shifted, pulling a thin blade out from underneath his bracer. “I apologize for this, hyung. But you’re in bad shape and I don’t have a better excuse to explain to the Captain as to why.”

Seonghwa looked up at San with confusion colouring his beautiful features, seconds before San’s blade scraped along Seonghwa’s cheek, leaving behind a thin red line. “Ngh! What the _fuck_ —”

“Hey! Open the Gates! The King’s husband was attacked and needs attention!” San suddenly yelled, startling Seonghwa - but not as badly as it startled the two guards that stood watch over the giant cast-iron gates in front of the King’s Manse.

Even more confused than he had been before, Seonghwa was easily brought into the King’s Manse, a place he’d only been to a handful of times before - most notably when he and Hongjoong had gotten married - and brought directly to the King’s Quarters. It was a spectacularly beautiful room, exquisitely decorated and rich with history of the previous Pirate Kings (and Queens). It spoke to the power of Hongjoong’s authority that none of the valuables that were stored there were still there. Seonghwa supposed that it would be suicidal to steal from Hongjoong seeing as how robust his reputation was.

So what fate would await Seonghwa, the one who stole the Pirate King’s heart under false pretenses?

Hongjoong quickly rose to his feet upon seeing Seonghwa’s face marred by a blade’s cut. “Who did this?” he hissed, murderous rage present in his dark brown eyes.

“It was a lucky hit,” Seonghwa muttered, surprising San. “I didn’t leave any scraps, so don’t bother going after them; it’d be a waste of time.” He rose to his full height, and nodded to San. “I’m fine, you can go.”

San raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

Seonghwa nodded slightly. “Yes, I’m sure. Thank you.” He held San’s eyes for a long moment, hoping that his intent was clear in his eyes. San’s expression was carefully blank, but he did incline his head just a bit before leaving with a deep bow to Hongjoong. The sound of the door closing seemed to echo loudly, and it wasn’t because of its weight. A strange sense of calm and purpose washed over Seonghwa and with his long stride, took no time at all before he reached Hongjoong and pulled his husband into a deep kiss.

The surprise initially etched on Hongjoong’s face quickly morphed into one of intense desire, returning Seonghwa’s kiss just as passionately. “Seonghwa,” he murmured, “you should treat that cut before it becomes a problem.”

The _Horizon’s_ Siren shook his head, pushing his husband back onto the expansive, sinfully luxurious bed. Seonghwa roughly wiped at his cheek with the sleeve of his jacket before shucking it off roughly alongside his shirt, boots and trousers. “It’s fine,” Seonghwa muttered as he moved onto the bed with the elegance of a panther, “I have a better idea of what I should do.”

Hongjoong’s right eyebrow raised as he smirked. He licked his lips, spiced with rum, and leaned back against the ornate headboard of the King’s bed as Seonghwa straddled his hips, looking like a _vision_ in the candlelight. “And what would that be, my love?”

“I want to ride you.”

There wasn’t much that surprised the Pirate King, but it was clear that Seonghwa’s bold and determined statement caught him off guard. “Come and take what’s yours, then,” Hongjoong replied, squeezing Seonghwa’s waist. He watched with hooded eyes as Seonghwa grabbed what they needed from the bedside chest, eyebrows raising when his husband pressed the amber coloured glass bottle into Hongjoong’s hand.

“I know how much you love this part,” Seonghwa whispered, leaning over his husband and stealing a slow kiss from his rum-stained lips. “The King should get to have some fun too, mm?”

Hongjoong’s eyes widened slightly; it was rare for Seonghwa to be this bold, and a part of the Pirate King wondered if the adrenaline from the day’s events affected his husband more than he let on. Not that Hongjoong was complaining. “So thoughtful,” the King murmured, carefully taking the bottle from Seonghwa, easily popping the cork with one hand. His fingers were now slick with oil, and he steadied Seonghwa with his left hand as his right started to prepare his husband.

His Siren was right - Hongjoong loved to take his time working Seonghwa open, loved to watch how the usually stern and collected expression crumbled to what lay at his core. Seeing pleasure that _Hongjoong_ put there on his husband’s beautiful face, hearing his quiet gasps and quieter moans … there was no treasure worth more to him. He watched with sharp eyes as Seonghwa trembled against him, his husband’s breath hitching against Hongjoong’s neck. “M-More,” Seonghwa whispered, lightly nibbling at Hongjoong’s bottom lip, pressing their lips together in a languid motion.

“What’s gotten into you, Seonghwa?” Hongjoong murmured, stubbornly keeping to his careful, firm pace, adding a second finger just to see Seonghwa’s blue eyes flash open in surprise, his mouth hanging open with rising pleasure. “You’re never so bold… I have to part the sea itself to convince you to join me in my bed sometimes.”

Seonghwa bit his lip and pressed his face against Hongjoong’s neck, the stretch of a third finger and the scent and _feel_ of his husband against him and _in_ him filling the void inside that was beginning to consume him whole. “The tide is turning,” he whispered, touching Hongjoong’s face with trembling fingers. “I don’t want to lose the time we have by being obstinate.”

Something unidentifiable flashed across Hongjoong’s dark eyes, but it was gone too quickly for Seonghwa to realize it. “Have some faith in me,” Hongjoong said softly, capturing his husband’s lips in a deep, loving kiss. “I’ve never led you astray, have I?”

“…No,” Seonghwa admitted, his hands tightening on Hongjoong’s shoulders. “You haven’t.”

“I don’t know what’s shaken your confidence like this, but not just anyone can walk at my side, not just anyone can command my crew, not just anyone can take my heart as you have, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong continued, stealing soft kisses in between his words, “I love you. Nothing will change that.”

(I wonder,) Seonghwa thought darkly, his breathing picking up as Hongjoong’s fingers skillfully worked him up, opening him up to the point that if Seonghwa didn’t have his husband inside him soon, he was going to lose his mind. Plucking the bottle out of Hongjoong’s free hand, Seonghwa coated his palm in the clear liquid, admiring how his hand glistened in the dim light. He held Hongjoong’s gaze in his as he reached behind him, slicking up his husband’s length with a slow, firm stroke. It was perhaps reckless to be doing this so soon, but Seonghwa pushed all other thoughts that _weren’t_ about Hongjoong out of his mind as he slowly lowered himself down. The burn rippled through his slender, toned frame, his breath coming out in low hisses.

Yes, this is what he needed. He needed the lingering pain, the rush of pleasure, he needed to get drunk on the look in Hongjoong’s eyes as he slowly began to move, opting for a slow and deep pace that let him feel _everything_. Time was running out, and damned if Seonghwa wasn’t going to use every last minute he had with Hongjoong to imprint as many memories as he possibly could before the end.

“I love you…” Seonghwa whispered against Hongjoong’s lips, bringing his hands up from his King’s shoulders to cup his cheeks. “I don’t know how someone like you could love someone like me, but you _are_ the best thing that’s happened to me.”

Concern flashed through Hongjoong’s eyes and face before he captured his husband’s mouth in another kiss, holding him close as they continued their slow, deep pace - as sure and steady as the sea’s ebb and flow. “I love you too, Seonghwa… trust in me.”

“I do.”

~ * ~

He’d never been to the Brethren’s Court before, and had only heard stories about Shipwreck Cove. Neither appeared to be anything close to what Seonghwa had been imagining: as the _Horizon_ approached the well-hidden isle, Seonghwa saw that he Brethren’s Court was inside a tall tower made out of what seemed to be the bones of those who tried to destroy it. His throat dried out as he saw skulls and all sorts of different types of bones fused into the charcoal black stone and grit of the tower, thousands of fallen and torn flags fluttering like some sort of grim memorial.

“Are you nervous, Lieutenant?” Jongho asked, snapping Seonghwa out of his deep thought.

The voyage to Shipwreck Cove had taken nearly three weeks, and Seonghwa had spent that entire time coordinating with the other ships via Umberlee’s messengers to beef up their security measures and prepare for the worst. It was easier than he thought to work with the other Captains, or perhaps they were only showing him civility because of Hongjoong. Either way, if it meant that the Brethren’s Court would have something of a fighting chance against the Royal Navy…

“No, but I’m not eager, either,” Seonghwa replied honestly. “It’s going to be an interrogation and I can’t say that I’ve ever met the Swan, the Wolf or the Queen so I don’t know what they’re like; I’ve only heard the same stories as you.”

Wooyoung appeared at Seonghwa’s other side rather abruptly, hanging onto the Lieutenant’s arm. “I’ve met the Black Swan,” he said, his eyes bright and smile even brighter. “Captain Jimin is something else; he enforces the law of the sea but treats his crew with respect.”

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like someone wants to jump ship to the _Black Swan_. Shall I tell Captain Hongjoong?”

“N-No!” Wooyoung yelped, suitably intimidated. “I’m just… I’m just _saying_ that Captain Jimin is like Captain Hongjoong! But… different. He taught me a lot about what it was to be a different kind of pirate. I don’t think I would’ve made it to the _Horizon_ if it wasn’t for him.”

A faint smile creased Seonghwa’s lips and he inclined his head slightly. “It sounds like he was a very good mentor.”

Wooyoung nodded firmly. “He was.” He looked over at San. “Do you know anything about Captain Chan? Or Captain Chungha?”

San tilted his head from side to side, leaning over the side of the ship as he stared out at the Brethren Court’s tower. “I’ve met Captain Chan a couple of times, so while I wouldn’t call us best friends, I know him well enough. Fiercely protective of his crew and an utter beast in battle; there’s a reason why the _Levanter_ is the best warship this side of the Caribbean. But he’s also the nicest man I’ve ever met.” San scratched his cheek.

“And Captain Chungha?” Seonghwa asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nobody knows much about the Red Queen,” Mingi replied, resting heavily against San’s back who made a very indignant noise. “It’s by design, though. She and her crew are the best of the best when it comes to making sure that you never see them coming and that the only thing you hear about them are whispers and rumours.”

Seonghwa’s brows furrowed together. “The Red Queen?”

Mingi gave him a small smirk and dragged his thumb across San’s neck. “She’s got an affinity for chopping off the heads of her enemies and painting the sides of her ship with their blood. I heard she took the head of the previous Admiral of the Royal Navy and used it as a wine skin.”

“That seems excessive,” Seonghwa replied, unable to stop himself.

“Sometimes you just got to let people know where they stand, and sometimes that’s that the only use they have is to hold your wine,” Yeosang replied blithely.

Seonghwa’s brows furrowed. “If you’re all here helpfully giving me the entire codex to the Pirate’s High Council, then who is ensuring this ship doesn’t crash into the rocks? You know how important this is.”

The _Horizon’s_ Lieutenant rolled his eyes slightly as the crew’s eyes widened and they shot off in different directions, realizing that if they didn’t go now, that they would feel Hongjoong’s wrath. A Pirate Lord’s arrival to the Court meant everything - it was the chance to assert their dominance, show their power, and prove with their flair and style why they were who they were. No entrance was more important than the King’s and Hongjoong took his entrance _very_ seriously. The last three weeks had been filled with drills, rehearsals, preparations of supplies and painstaking repetition when it came to contingency plans.

Seonghwa exhaled deeply as he made his way to the helm of the ship beside Hongjoong, the heavy fabric of his cloak rustling thickly by the sharp gale bursts of the wind. Wordlessly, Hongjoong raised his hand to Seonghwa, who took it and placed a kiss to their wedding brand, right to the glittering Mark of Umberlee. “Now,” Hongjoong said firmly.

Nodding once, Seonghwa released his husband’s hand and briefly closed his eyes, taking in the piercing salt air and the commotion of a ship preparing to dock. There was a reason why Seonghwa was called the Siren and Hongjoong was going to make sure that everyone knew. Once he’d felt his King’s hand on his shoulder, Seonghwa opened his eyes … and began to sing.

The Lieutenant’s clear, strong and beautiful voice carried throughout the ship and perhaps even to the Brethren’s Court tower itself. It was not only a song to announce the arrival of the Pirate King to his Court, but a song infused with the magic of the sea itself. Seonghwa’s voice could imbue songs with magic, and there was very little he couldn’t do with it once he’d grown more confident with his ability.

He’d kept it a secret while in service in Her Majesty’s Royal Navy; there was no way that his superior officers nor his colleagues would take kindly to what was essentially witchcraft. He had gotten the name The Queen’s Siren due to his ability to convince just about anyone to confess to their crimes; most notably an infamous pirate who only was brought to justice when he fell for Seonghwa’s voice.

Seonghwa had thought that pirates would be the more superstitious bunch and treat his ability with more scorn, but when Hongjoong had found out that Seonghwa was not truly human, he _embraced_ it and _loved_ it… which in turn made Seonghwa love his true self. With Hongjoong’s encouragement, Seonghwa practiced his ability until he could do almost anything with his voice, stories of the _Horizon’s_ Siren spreading far and wide.

He wondered what Brigadier General Kim Namjoon would think.

The waves became beholden to Seonghwa’s will through his song, his steady and beautiful voice commanding the water to spiral and curve around the _Horizon_ , a truly impressive sight to those in the Tower and those coming in from the sea. It was as if Umberlee herself had descended down and lovingly caressed the ship with the sea that she loved and embodied. The spray of the salt water rained down like an angel’s kiss to the crew as the _Horizon_ docked at Shipwreck Cove, Seonghwa’s song finishing with a powerful crescendo that brought the waves high and hard against the water beaten rocks, shattering a fair number of them.

Hongjoong grinned as the _Horizon_ slowed to a stop, and pulled his husband in for a passionate kiss, one that Seonghwa didn’t hesitate to return. “You should never have been made to feel like you had to silence this side of you,” Hongjoong murmured lovingly, stealing another kiss. “A blessing like that needs to be appreciated.”

“You’re the only one who ever thought it was a blessing and not a curse,” Seonghwa whispered, a small, genuine smile coming to his lips. “The Court awaits, my King.”

Hongjoong nodded and straightened up, dressed in his full regalia and looking every bit the Pirate King that he was. “It will be a night to remember, Seonghwa. We haven’t convened like this in quite some time.”

As Seonghwa followed Hongjoong off the ship and into the Tower - the rest of the Crew staying behind under San’s command - the Lieutenant wondered if Hongjoong realized just what lay ahead for him. As he thought about it, he wondered if the Pirate King of the Seven Seas _cared_. Hongjoong had said it repeatedly: as long as he had his crew, his husband, and the _Horizon_ , nothing else mattered.

His husband… the only lie on a ship of truth.

Seonghwa’s chest constricted as he followed Hongjoong through the tower, surprised by the rich history and beautiful decoration that lined the grim halls. It seemed more like a King’s Tower in London than it did the most sacred spot for all Pirate kind. Now, now he knew why Hongjoong was insistent that they dress in their full regalia, why he demanded they wear their jewelry and why he lined their eyes with kohl. It was ceremonial, convening the Brethren’s Court, and it would be an insult to come in nothing short of one’s fineries.

If he had been surprised by the halls of the Tower, nothing prepared him for the Den, where the High Council sat alongside the Keeper of the Code. Seonghwa’s breath was stolen from his throat as he entered: there were four seats, two on each side of a gorgeous, golden-coated table with a giant throne at its head. Three of the four seats were filled and Seonghwa’s eyes struggled to take in everything and commit it to memory. Across the table closest to the Throne was the Black Swan, Jimin, beside him was Chungha, the Red Queen. Directly across from Jimin had to be Bang Chan, the Stray Wolf; Seonghwa had heard the story of how Chan fought Davey Jones’ kraken itself to save his crew who had sacrificed themselves to save him from his debt.

As soon as Hongjoong entered, the three High Council members rose and inclined their heads respectfully. Hongjoong returned their nod and gestured for them to sit. Seonghwa’s eyes went past them to those standing behind their chairs: behind Jimin was a tall, strikingly handsome man with black hair and plush lips, Kim Seokjin; behind Chungha was a woman with crimson red lips and eyes that could cut him straight in half, Hwasa; and behind Chan was a slender, delicate featured young man with bright blond hair and wide eyes and a starburst of freckles across the bridge of his nose… Seonghwa didn’t know who he was, so he must have been new.

“Where’s Minho, Chan?” Hongjoong asked idly as he took his seat at the Throne. Seonghwa stayed where he was, off to the side but still near Hongjoong. “You don’t usually go anywhere without your Lieutenant.”

Chan gave the King a small smile. “He’s watching the kids; bit of a delicate situation we’ve got going on here so I thought I’d give Felix some field experience with the less fun part of piracy. Pay your respects to the King, ‘Lix.”

The freckled young man behind Chan nodded, his earrings jingling softly. He left his spot behind the Stray Wolf’s chair and bowed deeply to Hongjoong, offering a golden coin with a skull imprinted on one side and crossbones on the other. “My name is Lee Felix, your Highness, and I humbly pay my respects to you, the Pirate King of the Seven Seas and the Chosen of the Goddess Umberlee.”

His voice was deceptively deep, and Seonghwa hoped that the surprise didn’t show on his face. Hongjoong watched the young man and nodded slightly, taking the coin and gesturing with a hand for Felix to rise to his feet. “You’ve got some good men, Chan,” he said, slipping the coin into his pocket. The Pirate King glanced up on the other side of his Throne, where an impressive chair carved into the black rock to look like the omen of death itself, the raven. Seonghwa started as he saw that there was a young woman sitting up high in the seat, draped in black and the only other colour visible was her brown skin and golden jewelry. “Make note, Raven.”

The woman hummed softly, black painted nails idly scratching along a hefty, leather bound tome that sat on her lap. She opened her right hand, a quill appearing out of thin air as she opened the heavy book and elegantly wrote something down in midnight black ink. “Lee Felix, member of the _Levanter_ ,” she murmured. “Noted now and forevermore.”

Leaning over in his seat, Hongjoong caught Seonghwa’s gaze. “This is Raven, the Keeper of the Code. She’s been here as long as the Code’s been written by the First King of the Seven Seas. Seen it all, this one has.”

Raven huffed out a little laugh, and closed the book once the ink had dried. She caught Seokjin’s gaze and seemed slightly affronted when the Lieutenant of the _Black Swan_ blew her a kiss - a habit of his that further cemented his reputation as the Wild Beauty of the Seven Seas. “Not the first, not the last,” She muttered, glancing away to Hongjoong. “It’s time, Highness. The seat must be filled.”

Jimin leaned forward, resting his chin on the palm of his right hand, his pale blond hair soft and almost ethereal looking in the warm glow of the candlelight. “I’ve heard some interesting rumours as of late, Highness,” he murmured, turning his gaze towards Hongjoong, “that you intend to nominate your own husband to the High Council. That’s bold, even for you.”

“ _I_ heard that _your_ husband caught you and led you out in shackles straight to a cell in Port Royal,” Hongjoong shot back, a grin on his lips.

A flash of indignation crossed Jimin’s devastatingly handsome features, but he soon smirked and sat back in his seat. “I let him catch up to me,” he explained blithely, running a hand through his hair. “It was getting a little boring pretending to be a goody two-shoes, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.”

Chungha raised an eyebrow. “I see you’re here instead of rotting inside the dungeons in Port Royal. How did your dear husband take to learning that his husband is a dirty pirate?”

Jimin smirked. “I don’t kiss and tell.”

“That’d be a first,” Chan commented, sucking on his teeth and giving Jimin a roguish grin when the Black Swan gave him a side-eyed glare. Felix bit his lip to stifle a laugh, becoming suddenly very interested in what the stone floor of the Den had to offer. “Usually we can’t stop you from telling us all about your Pirate Hunter husband.”

Seonghwa was beginning to wonder if all pirates were horrid gossips and if the Brethren Court was some kind of yearly bitchfest when he caught sight of some strange movement out of the corner of his eye. He’d seen some men in strange black robes walking around, with Hongjoong idly mentioning that they were part of the Tower’s caretakers. (Those must be those caretakers,) Seonghwa thought, though one of them seemed … distressingly familiar with his doe-brown eyes before he pulled up the hood, further obscuring his face.

“We’re here to determine who fills the Bastard Duke’s seat,” Hongjoong pointed out, bringing the attention back to himself. “As the Pirate King, appointed by the Sea Goddess Umberlee herself, I formally nominate the Lieutenant of the _Horizon_ , Park Seonghwa.”

Jimin ran his tongue along his plush lips, turning his sharp-eyed gaze to Seonghwa. “You must have made quite the impression on _His Majesty_ if he’s taken the risk of nominating you to the High Council. Such an impact in such a short amount of time. I don’t think I’ve heard your name before you came aboard the _Horizon_.”

Though his heart was beating out of his chest, Seonghwa remained the picture of composure. “Was there a question somewhere in there for me, Captain Jimin?”

Surprise briefly registered on Jimin’s handsome face before his lips curled into a smirk; luckily for Seonghwa he seemed to be impressed with Seonghwa’s wit. “Aye, I suppose I should be more clear with my question. To be a member of the High Council one needs to prove their mettle, to bring something to the table that no one else can. The Bastard Duke had his hands in the banking system of the Colonies. I am the arbiter of justice, Chungha runs the assassin’s guild and has a vice grip on some very powerful lords and ladies, and Chan … Chan’s the head of the previously leaderless warlords, the Strays. What do you bring that is on that level, Park Seonghwa?”

For the past three weeks, Seonghwa had been thinking about that exact question: what could he bring to the High Council? The Brigadier General gave him express orders to make the best case possible, so that the Council could bicker, argue and nitpick about details to give the Royal Navy time to get into position. More than that, though, he knew that this was the real test: Hongjoong only had to put forth the nomination, it was up to Seonghwa to make his case.

“I will get the most obvious reason out of the way first,” Seonghwa began, his voice calm, clear and firm. “No one else at this table, nor out on the seas save for the Goddess herself has the King’s ear. No one else has his trust, nor do they understand him as well as I do. The _Horizon_ was nowhere near as prolific until I came on board and turned it around. But … to properly answer your question, Captain Jimin … what I bring to the table is this.”

Jimin raised an eyebrow as Seonghwa closed his eyes and pressed his palms together, beginning to sing a slow, almost melancholy song. It was in a language none of them knew, but one that they all recognized: it was the dirge of the Sirens. Quickly, the three Pirate Lords jumped out of their seats and rushed to the windows, staring with widening eyes as the Tower was surrounded by scores of Sirens of different types stretching out for miles out into the dark waters of the sea.

“This… is the reason I am called the _Horizon’s_ Siren,” Seonghwa said softly, moving his palms apart to show that there was now a glowing blue and green brand on each one. “The Goddess of the Sea, Umberlee, blessed me with her Mark. She married me to her King. I believe that answers your question, Captain Jimin.”

“…So it does,” Jimin breathed, glancing back out the glassless window to where the myriad of sirens waited, staring back at the Lords with glowing eyes. He looked over at Chan and Chungha, both of whom were looking back at him with surprise and realization on their faces.

“Leave it to Hongjoong to marry the only male Siren I’ve ever heard of existing,” Chungha muttered, impressed.

As they turned to face Hongjoong, the Pirate King’s lips curled into a satisfied smirk. “I trust that answers your questions,” he said, leaning heavily against the right arm of his Throne. “Do your nominees have anything that can compare to Seonghwa?”

Chan sighed and shook his head. “You’re too smug for your own good. By the Code, we still have to present our nominees, even in the face of… that kind of demonstration. By your leave, I nominate —”

An earth-shattering boom rattled the Tower, the night sky lighting up with the tell-tale flare of cannon fire. Hongjoong sprang from the Throne and moved towards the window, his eyes narrowing. “Fucking hell,” he cursed. “They’re faster than I thought.”

Chan’s eyes narrowed and he turned Hongjoong around roughly; he needed the Pirate King’s authorization before making a move. “Give me the word, we’ll destroy them.”

Hongjoong nodded. “Take the Serpent’s tunnel and — fuck!” He stumbled forward, head whipping around as a cannon took out a chunk of the tower, disastrously close to taking Chungha out if it wasn’t for Hwasa’s fast reaction time and yanking her out of the way at the last minute. His eyes widened as he heard the sound of men yelling - the Royal Navy had sent their infantry ahead. “Fuck, there’s no time - Chan, you’ve got full authority to blow them out of the water. Go! Chungha —”

“No need for instructions, highness, I know just how to repay these fools! Hwasa! To me!” Chungha hissed, nodding to Hwasa and the two women ran out of the Den as another cannonball slammed into the side of the tower.

In the chaos, Seonghwa tried to pin where Jimin was and saw the Black Swan struggling with a heavy black stone that had fallen onto his right leg, pinning him down to the floor. Before he could move, however, two of the shadowy figures that were standing in the background during Court suddenly moved forward, the hood falling off one of them as they started barking orders to the other two. Seonghwa’s eyes widened.

It was the _Euphoria’s_ Captain, Jeon Jungkook. Beside him was one of his Lieutenants, Min Yoongi, and together they hauled the black stone off Jimin’s leg. Jungkook grunted as he pulled his husband to his feet, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “Now!” Jungkook hissed. “We move! We take the western staircase!” He threw a glare at Seokjin. “Are you just going to stand there like a dolt?! Hurry up or we leave you behind!”

Seokjin squawked indignantly. “You brat! I’m —” Quickly, the pirate shook his head and took off after Jungkook and Yoongi, just as Hongjoong grabbed Seonghwa.

“Hwa, the Sirens—”

“— Right,” Seonghwa agreed, “I’ll try and slow them down. But if it’s the full force…”

“Just do it!” Hongjoong urged. “We need to move, now!”

Seonghwa’s heart leapt into his throat as he heard the increasingly approaching sounds of the infantry storming the staircases. It took him a moment, but Seonghwa managed to get his voice to work enough to give the request - Seonghwa doubted the Sirens would listen to a command - to hinder the ships, to do anything and everything they could to stop the Royal Navy from making any progress. The second the song ended, Hongjoong grabbed his black bladed sword in one hand and Seonghwa’s wrist in the other, pulling him out just as another cannonball crashed into the Tower.

While Seonghwa was no stranger to the chaos of battle, both as an officer in the Royal Navy and as a member of the _Horizon_ , the air was markedly different this time. In an instant, he had his own sword drawn as he and Hongjoong began to cut a swath of blood and downed Crown soldiers in their descent down the Tower. They were poetry in motion; both Seonghwa and Hongjoong knew each other like the backs of their hands, and they moved as if they were one. Together, even in the face of the increasingly rising number of infantry soldiers rushing at them, Seonghwa and Hongjoong were proving that they were untouchable.

But it wouldn’t matter if they couldn’t get to the _Horizon_ in time. As strong as the crew of the _Horizon_ was, they needed Hongjoong there and they needed to get the hell _out_. Blood painted the charcoal black walls of the Tower as well as the Pirate King and his husband, but none of it was theirs. Hongjoong nodded to Seonghwa and suddenly banked left when they were in the lower third of the Tower, Seonghwa quickly following suit. The abrupt turn brought them out onto a bridge - one that Seonghwa realized led right above the _Horizon_. Hongjoong really did have amazing situational awareness.

“That’s as far as you go, Kim Hongjoong!”

Seonghwa’s heart died in his throat. He knew that voice. Turning around slowly alongside Hongjoong, his jaw clenched: standing behind them with his modified musket primed and ready was Brigadier General Kim Namjoon, dressed to the nines in his uniform. As Seonghwa moved to say something to stall for time, Hongjoong stepped forward, blood-soaked blade resting on his right shoulder, thick, viscous liquid sliding down and staining his regalia.

 _“I’ve never led you astray, have I?”  
_ _“…No.”_

“Yah, I’m honoured,” Hongjoong drawled, tongue flicking out to lick at his chapped lips. “I didn’t think that the high and mighty Kim Namjoon would come out of his ivory tower to come and pay a visit to little ol’ me. I’m honoured.”

“Cut the theatrics,” Namjoon snapped, musket raised and his sharp eyes piercing through the sight. “You’re coming with me in shackles, you sham of a King.” Another cannonball hit the Tower, shaking the bridge. Seonghwa cursed; this thing was not as structurally sound as he would have hoped. Another hit and they’d be more likely to pay a shared visit to Davey Jones’ locker than continue this stalemate. “I take you down and the entire construct of Piracy falls.”

 _“I love you too, Seonghwa… trust in me.”   
_ _“I do.”_

Hongjoong threw his head back and laughed. “Let me let you in on a little secret, Brigadier General: you and I are more alike than we are different and you know that and you _hate_ that. How could you be on the same level as dirty fucking pirate? But we are. I hate liars and scoundrels the same as you. The only difference is I don’t handicap myself when it comes to making sure they don’t make that same mistake twice.”

_“Just remember where your loyalty truly lies, hyung.”_

Namjoon’s lips curled into a snarl. “You are the same type of filth as every other pirate out there! You may have fooled perfectly noble and innocent men into throwing away their morals, but I will not consort nor spend a second more indulging a _pirate_. Either you come with me quietly, Kim Hongjoong, or I take you back to Port Royal in a pauper’s coffin; it maters not to me.”

“Why don’t we work together, Brigadier General? We’re two sides of the same coin - I want the seas to be safe, as do you,” Hongjoong continued, undeterred. “I know the God of Justice, Tyr, smiles upon you, but if you worked together with me, perhaps the Goddess Umberlee would be kinder to your fleet.”

The Brigadier General’s eyes narrowed. “The word of a pirate means _nothing_ to me. I’ve wasted enough on you; it’s clear you’ve chosen death. But I will tell you one thing before I send you to a fitting end, Kim Hongjoong… you may be the smartest pirate I’ve ever met, but you never realized how close I had my best pair of eyes on you.” He squeezed the trigger, the shot firing off as loud as the cannons that continued to light up the night sky.

_“You need to look deep down… and think about what Park Seonghwa can live with. Not what Brigadier General Kim Namjoon wants, not what Captain Kim Hongjoong the Pirate King wants… what you want.”_

Seonghwa finally knew the answer to the question that had plagued him for the last year. His heart had been screaming at him for so long that he had tuned it out. But now, watching as Brigadier Kim Namjoon pulled the trigger on his musket aimed at his husband, the answer was clear.

Hongjoong’s eyes opened and his eyebrow quirked in confusion. He looked down at his chest and saw that he was perfectly fine; he couldn’t feel the burn of a gunshot wound, and the blood on his chest was not his. A sudden choked sound snapped his gaze up and his eyes widened: Seonghwa had moved in front of him at the last second. “Seonghwa!”

The hand that reached out for Hongjoong missed by mere inches as another cannonball slammed through the middle of the bridge, cutting clean through it; the jolt from the impact shook the bridge to its core, catching all three men off guard and off their footing. Hongjoong let out a pained cry as Seonghwa’s fingers slipped through his own and he fell off the crumbling bridge, narrowly missing the _Horizon_ and disappearing into the inky black waters.

_“I love you… I don’t know how someone like you could love someone like me, but you are the best thing that’s happened to me.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> scream at me in the comments, I deserve it


	4. Please Come to Me (We Can Be Together)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The biggest mystery of the Seven Seas wasn't who controlled them ... but who was Kim Hongjoong and how much did he truly know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this was originally supposed to be 4 Acts but the final part got away from me and it was way too chonky so I split it in half. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

Kim Hongjoong had been born out at sea on the night of a terrible shipwreck. The seas had been cruel and the ship’s crew unprepared for the storm that hit them out of nowhere. It wasn’t terribly surprising; it was a civilian vessel that was intended to make a short voyage to St. Mary’s Island, they did not prepare for a certifiable maelstrom to hit. The crew did its best to protect their passengers, but they were not able to quell the sea’s wrath, the ship perishing out in the middle of nowhere with no help in sight.

By all accounts, Hongjoong should not have survived. A newborn infant out at sea was dangerous enough, but one without any parents floating on a piece of driftwood was all but dead. If healthy adults could perish out at sea, a tiny child had no chance. But fate had been smiling on Hongjoong that night; a trio of Sirens had come across the shipwreck and while they were initially upset that everyone had already perished, they were intrigued to see that a small child had survived.

They had debated amongst themselves on what to do with the tiny human, and in the end, sought the Goddess Umberlee’s counsel. Known throughout the world as a Goddess that wrought Terror and Fury to those that slighted her, those who sought safe passage on the seas needed to make tribute to her. She was the patron saint of Pirates, giving a select few her blessing and her power to wreak havoc on the high seas. Even fewer received the highest blessing from the Sea Goddess: the Mark of the Pirate King/Queen to rule the high seas in her name. All manner of men and women had received Umberlee’s blessing, from the downright cruel to the noblest alive. Her favour was fickle, her temper as strong as the waters she commanded.

Umberlee had regarded the baby with something faintly resembling interest when Hongjoong was brought to her main temple deep off the coast of Port Royal. She was a fearsome deity, hundreds of feet tall with a human woman’s torso but the body of a kraken. Her hair was as wild as the sea, but glittering with the dark beauty contained under its depths. Her eyes were a piercing gold, and she leaned down to further scrutinize this odd thing the Sirens brought her.

‘What a strange thing you’ve brought me,’ she rumbled, gently tapping Hongjoong with a scaly finger. Hongjoong giggled, reaching up to grasp her finger with a bright smile. Umberlee started, her lips instinctively curling into a snarl before Hongjoong placed a tiny kiss to her finger, hugging it to his tiny body. ‘What… let go.’ Her brows had furrowed and she wiggled the little baby, but Hongjoong only giggled louder, his laugh bright and airy, piercing through the tense situation like an arrow through the sky. ‘Why aren’t you screaming, little one? Do you not realize who you are before?’

Hongjoong babbled at her, a very strange baby indeed. His eyes were bright as he looked up at her, not scared in the slightest of the fearsome deity of the sea that loomed above him. Not one tear or scream came from him, only laughs and big, gummy smiles. He kissed her finger again, giggling and snuggling against it as his eyes fluttered shut.

‘This is no mere human,’ one of the sirens said, tilting her head and letting her fiery red mane cascade over her slender shoulder as she watched the baby.

‘He is enamoured with you, my Goddess,’ a second one added, smiling as she poked Hongjoong, who giggled happily in response.

Umberlee grunted, lowering herself so she could get a better look at this tiny creature. ‘You should have died in that wreck little one; how did you survive when men stronger than you perished? Perhaps… perhaps you are the one I have been waiting for. Mm? Is this little boy going to be my Chosen King? It is perhaps no mere coincidence that the sirens brought you to me.’

‘What will you do?’ the third siren asked, tickling Hongjoong and delighting in the high pitched squeals that came from him. ‘He isn’t scared of us… and he seems to be attached to you already, my Goddess.’

Umberlee was silent until she made a bit of an indigent noise when Hongjoong grabbed at her face and placed a wet kiss to her large cheek. ‘Perhaps it _is_ you, the one I have been waiting for,’ she whispered, her fierce gaze softening markedly. ‘I will Mark you, little one. You will return here a Man, ready to take on the world and turn the tide against those that would try and control it.’ She smiled fondly as her nail tapped his chubby right arm, placing her Blessing on the little baby. ‘Your name is Hongjoong now, little one. You will be the centre of the wide world, my protector, my King. And by your side… will be a Siren, much like the ones that saved you and brought you to me. Now go… make your mark upon the world.’

She raised her great arms, summoning a great beast of the waters, a Great White Were-Shark, half man half shark, with a mouth as wide as the stern of any ship. Gently, Umberlee placed the little baby in the Were-Shark’s arms. ‘Where shall I take him, my Queen?’ the shark asked, his voice deep, rumbly and largely unintelligible to anyone other than the Sea Goddess.

‘Take him to Port Royal,’ Umberlee decreed. ‘It will start there.’

~ * ~

It was in Port Royal during a sweltering afternoon that Hongjoong first saw the man he knew he wanted to marry. Hongjoong was a gangly teenager, wiry and strong, making ends meet initially as a blacksmith’s apprentice in between voyages with the _BIG BANG_ pirate vessel as a cabin boy. While he didn’t look like much, Hongjoong was a very strong swimmer and had a deceptive amount of power hidden within his slender frame. It was on a particularly boring day when he was trying to work out a kink in a particularly stubborn piece of steel when Seonghwa passed, chatting with three young men roughly his age.

He was the most beautiful man that Hongjoong had ever seen. So beautiful, that the apprentice nearly dropped his scorchingly hot hammer right onto his hand instead of the steel sword he was fashioning. Quickly, Hongjoong righted his grip and resumed pounding out the imperfections on the steel. Not that it stopped him from stealing glances at the beautiful man.

‘We’re going to enter the Royal Navy together, Seonghwa!’ one of them insisted.

 _So_ , he remembered thinking, _his name is Seonghwa._

‘And we’re going to join Yoongi-hyung and Hoseok-hyung!’ He grinned, his nose crinkling as his doe-brown eyes looked up at the bright sun. ‘I’m going to command my own ship someday. I’m going to make sure that the waters are safe for everyone by getting rid of all the pirates!’

‘So are you going to be a pirate hunter, then?’ asked a man with sharp eyes and wavy black hair. He reminded Hongjoong of a black cat. ‘Will we be calling you the infamous Pirate Hunter, Jeon Jungkook?’

‘Yoongi-hyung!’ Jungkook whined, huffing. ‘What if I do? Pirates ruined everything. They sacked my town, killed my parents. They did it to Seonghwa too! They’ll deserve everything coming to them.’

‘Easy there,’ the second man, Hoseok, soothed with a small smile. ‘You’re not going to anywhere acting like some kind of avenger. The Royal Navy needs people with steady personalities _and_ that can follow orders. You’d be no better than a pirate if you can’t follow orders.’

‘If you believe the rumours, pirate vessels are fairer for those that work on them,’ Seonghwa said, running a hand through his longish black hair, ocean blue eyes sharp in the midday sun. ‘The Captains don’t take 14 shares to 1 on loot garnered on missions like Crown Captains do. Not nearly as many mutinies either as they vote for their Captains regularly.’

Jungkook gaped at him. ‘Seonghwa! Are you a pirate sympathizer?’

The youngest (but tallest) of the three snorted. ‘No, but let’s not kid ourselves that the Royal Navy is some kind of bastion of justice by default. It’s the men that make the ship.’

Jungkook folded his arms across his chest as he shook his head vehemently. Yoongi sighed and caught the ribbon that held his wild hair back and re-tied it dutifully. ‘Then we’re going to be the change that the Royal Navy needs!’

A fond smile came across Seonghwa’s lips and Hongjoong felt his heart explode in his chest. ‘I hope that we are.’

From the moment that Hongjoong laid eyes on Seonghwa, he knew that there was going to be nobody else for him. Whatever it took, Hongjoong vowed to himself that he would see this beautiful and smart man again, and they would sail the seas together. It was a foolish dream, even he knew that, but Hongjoong was nothing if not determined to manifest his dreams into reality. He’d been doing it since birth and he wasn’t about to stop now.

Seonghwa.

He loved the name from the moment he heard it, and Hongjoong knew immediately that he wanted to hear it all the time.

~ * ~

Hongjoong was 20 years old when he stole his first ship, the _INCEPTION_. It was a Royal Navy vessel, the pride of the Commodore of Port Royal. Hongjoong had stolen it by tricking the crew into boarding the shitty one while he snuck on board and pulled away on the _INCEPTION_. He hadn’t done it alone, however: during his time aboard the _BIGBANG_ , he’d met a young man named Yunho, with a bright personality who seemed more at home raising sheepdogs than he was on a pirate vessel. Yunho and his childhood friend Mingi were the junior bruisers aboard the _BIGBANG_ , still learning the ropes but climbing the ranks at an accelerated rate.

The three young men had gravitated towards each other, one because of their age and two, because their personalities meshed so well. They worked so well together that the Captain of the _BIGBANG_ , Jiyong put them in their own special subunit aboard the ship to be the first into the fray for their boarding party. While it had started out as a way to keep the loudest of the crew together and out of the way, Jiyong soon found that Hongjoong, Mingi and Yunho were the rising stars of his ship, and slowly, he gave them more to do as he was curious to see how they’d fair.

The answer was far more than he had anticipated.

Hongjoong outgrew the _BIGBANG_ at an alarming pace and although he always showed deference and respect to Captain Jiyong, it was becoming more and more apparent that he was going to settle for nothing less than becoming the Captain of his own ship. Jiyong knew as well as anyone that one’s path had to be cut by oneself, so he issued Hongjoong a challenge: if the young upstart wanted his own ship, then he would have to take it from the Royal Navy, who was currently stationed in the pirate stronghold of New Providence. Crown presence would be quite significant, as the Queen herself wanted the colony liberated immediately due to its lucrative gold mines. It would be suicidal to try anything in New Providence if one was a pirate, let alone something as insane as steal one of their own ships.

Now, while Hongjoong was determined and loud, he wasn’t stupid. He knew what Jiyong was doing: if he wanted a ship so bad and wouldn’t shut up about it, he’d have to prove he had the balls to be a Pirate Captain by stealing from the Royal Navy themselves. As he stared out at the glittering sea, he felt Yunho and Mingi’s hands on his shoulders from either side of him.

‘I heard the Captain told you to fuck off,’ Mingi said with a grin.

Hongjoong rolled his eyes. ‘No, he told me that if I want my own ship so bad I’m going to have to liberate it from Her Majesty’s Royal Navy.’

Yunho tilted his head. ‘Sounds like he said ‘fuck off’ to me.’

‘Are you two in or not?’

Mingi and Yunho shared a twin grin of excitement and clapped the shorter man on the back. ‘Hell yeah we’re in!’ Mingi replied. ‘You’re not going to get anywhere by yourself.’

Hongjoong snorted. ‘The second I get my own ship, you two are going to be permanently assigned to cleaning up seagull shit.’

It had honestly been far easier than Hongjoong realized to trick the Naval officers aboard the _INCEPTION_. As was their expertise, Yunho and Mingi drew the attention of the soldiers and crew of the _INCEPTION_ by being the two absolute loudest people in New Providence. They’d begun arguing loudly about stealing the ship for the _Golden Dragon_ , Jiyong. It was so stupid and so blatant that Hongjoong remembered how his jaw fell open when the crew and soldiers tasked with protecting the _INCEPTION_ left it to storm the garbage ship Hongjoong procured for the trick.

The second that the entirety of the crew and its security detail left the _INCEPTION_ , Hongjoong, Yunho and Mingi swung over. They cut the ropes, pushed over the flimsy plywood used as a temporary bridge and pulled down the masts, setting sail with the wind on their side. The last thing that Her Majesty’s naval officers saw of the _INCEPTION_ were two very tall young men killing themselves laughing and nearly throwing themselves overboard because of it, and the third young man at the helm blowing them a kiss.

Hongjoong was now the Captain of his own ship.

The _INCEPTION_ had more surprises in store for the fledgling crew as they set sail out of New Providence and onto the high seas. Once they’d managed to stabilize the ship and set their course, the next bit of business on hand was to figure out just what the hell was left on the ship before they had stolen it. Mingi stayed above deck to keep an eye on the helm, while Yunho and Hongjoong delved below deck to see how well (or not) stocked the _INCEPTION_ was.

‘Wouldn’t it be ironic if they had shit all here and were in New Providence to restock?’ Yunho asked, trying the handle of one of the doors.

‘Don’t even _say_ shit like that,’ Hongjoong groaned.

Yunho swung the door open and was suddenly pulled to the side by Hongjoong as something sharp flung itself out from inside the room, missing him by mere inches. Yunho’s eyes widened as he followed the trajectory of the object, seeing that it was a piece of jagged glass that had been sanded down and made into a stake. ‘What the _fuck!_ ’

‘Get fucking bent you pieces of shit!’ came a sharp voice, startling both men. ‘If you step one foot in here again I’m not going to miss the second time!’

‘Y-Yeosang, I don’t think that’s the Commodore,’ a second voice said quietly.

‘We stole from the fucking _Commodore?_ ’ Yunho asked, laughing into his hand.

Hongjoong glared at him. ‘Shut it!’

‘Quiet, Jongho!’ the first voice hissed. ‘They want to try their luck again I’m going to make them so ugly even a Siren won’t try and drown them.’

Hongjoong blinked and shared a long look with Yunho before holding out a hand and waving a white handkerchief. ‘We’re not part of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy,’ he explained, poking his head into the room.

Yunho nodded as he joined Hongjoong from the other side of the door. ‘We’re dirty fucking pirates. Not stuffy naval officers.’

‘ _Yunho_ ,’ Hongjoong groaned, putting a hand over his face. ‘Don’t _lead_ with that.’ He sighed and stepped into the room fully, holding up his hands so Yeosang didn’t try to impale him with another piece of glass from inside the cage he and Jongho were locked in. ‘I’m Hongjoong and that’s Yunho. We stole this ship from the Royal Navy.’

Jongho blinked owlishly. ‘Why did you do that?’

Hongjoong shrugged. ‘My Captain dared me that I couldn’t so I did. What are you two doing in here?’ He tied the white handkerchief to one of his belt loops on his trousers, and pulled his cross-body satchel around in order to rummage around in it. He soon procured his lock-picking tools, humming a jaunty little tune as he fought with the rusted lock.

Yeosang and Jongho shared a look with each other before the blond decided to respond. ‘When the Navy came to ‘liberate’ New Providence, we fought back. It was made by pirates for pirates and they just came in here to fuck with everything and suppress everyone. Jongho and I fought back and… well, ended up in here.’

‘They said they were going to hang us when we got to Port Royal,’ Jongho added, watching curiously as Hongjoong deftly picked the lock and swung open the door. ‘—you two said you were pirates?’

Yunho nodded as he offered the two younger men a hand up from the floor. ‘We were serving aboard the _BIGBANG_ but Hongjoong-hyung here decided he wanted to strike out on his own. Mingi and I decided we’d join up. As much fun as it was following Captain Jiyong, we wanna do more.’

Yeosang raised an eyebrow as he straightened out his tattered clothes. ‘That’s helpfully vague.’

‘Sue me, I just started,’ Hongjoong said, slipping his tools back into his satchel. ‘We’re going to Tortuga to start making contacts and work our way up. You two in? If not, just let me know where you want to be dropped off and we’ll get you there.’

‘…you’re not going to try and convince us to join your crew?’ Jongho asked, blinking.

Hongjoong blinked back at him. ‘I mean, if you want to join up I wouldn’t say no. We could use all the hands we can get to be honest. Mingi and Yunho are our bruisers, and I’m … well, I do just about everything but I’d say I’m probably best with strategy. What about you two?’

‘Yeosang was our ship’s surgeon and I was our sniper; I can hit a bird on a branch from the ship with a rifle no problem,’ Jongho answered, still baffled. ‘Our crew isn’t going to want anything to do with us now that we got captured. If we head back to New Providence we’re as good as dead and no way am I going to Port Royal crewless.’

With a sigh, the smaller blond raked a hand through his hair. He walked over to the wall where his glass stake had impaled itself and wrenched it out with surprising strength. ‘I’m probably going to regret this, but I want to see what kind of lunatic decides that his first vessel is going to be one he _stole_ from the Commodore of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy.’

Hongjoong winked. ‘This lunatic’s now your Captain.’

When they finally arrived in Tortuga some weeks later, word had already spread about the upstart young Captain who stole the jewel of the Royal Navy, the _INCEPTION_ , and turned it into a pirate vessel. As Hongjoong stepped foot in the pirate haven, he was greeted by a drop dead gorgeous young man with full lips and pale blond hair, flanked by two equally handsome men dressed in pirate regalia and a third with wide, curious eyes and a seemingly permanent pout.

‘You must be Hongjoong,’ the man up front said, a smirk on his plush lips. ‘Word spread like wildfire about a man named Hongjoong who stole the newest jewel of the Royal Navy for his first vessel. Quite impressive.’ He nodded. ‘I’m Jimin, Captain of the _Black Swan_ and member of the High Council of Pirates.’

Hongjoong’s eyes widened and he bowed respectfully, gesturing for Yunho, Mingi, Yeosang and Jongho to do the same. ‘My name is Kim Hongjoong,’ he confirmed, straightening up. ‘This is my crew - Yunho, Mingi, Yeosang and Jongho. We came from Captain Jiyong’s _BIGBANG_.’

That seemed to catch Jimin’s attention, and he made a soft sound of acknowledgment. ‘So you trained under Jiyong,’ Jimin murmured. He turned to one of the three men beside him, the shorter one with the wide eyes. ‘Wooyoung, please advise the _Mermaid’s Wail_ that I will be needing their entire tavern for a private meeting. If they give you any trouble, you know what to do.’

The black haired boy nodded and saluted. ‘Right away, Captain!’ He turned to the tall black haired man to Jimin’s left and held out his hand.

Affronted, the black haired man furrowed his brows. ‘What?’

Wooyoung gave him a look and jutted his hand out further. ‘I can’t bribe the tavern owner with the zero dollars I have to my name, Lieutenant Seokjin.’ He grinned when the Lieutenant gave him an indignant squawk. ‘I need something.’

The sapphire haired man to Jimin’s right snickered, as Wooyoung was able to get a couple of gold pieces from Seokjin. ‘Wooyoungie, you know that as a member of the _Black Swan_ that you should be able to get the tavern owner to do what we want without giving him a cent.’

‘Oh, I can, Lieutenant Taehyung,’ Wooyoung replied blithely, ‘this is just a little reward for me.’ He winked to Seokjin who started yelling after him when realization struck. The younger pirate giggled and took off for the infamous _Mermaid’s Wail_ tavern in the northeast part of Tortuga with a wave and a wink.

Seokjin growled in frustration as Hongjoong and his ragtag crew struggled to keep their laughter to themselves. ‘I like him,’ Hongjoong said with a laugh, trying to avoid Seokjin’s murderous stare. ‘His name is Wooyoung?’

‘Jung Wooyoung,’ Jimin confirmed with an amused smile.

‘He’ll be known as a _dead man_ when he comes back,’ Seokjin groused. Taehyung snickered and gave his fellow Lieutenant a squeeze on one of his broad shoulders. ‘I’ll give you 50 gold pieces to take him off my hands, Hongjoong.’

Jimin laughed airily, a beautiful sound that sounded akin to a lovely wind chime. ‘You can’t _sell_ Wooyoung!’

‘I can damn well try,’ Seokjin muttered. He glanced at Hongjoong and leaned in, gesturing for Hongjoong to do the same. ‘But seriously, do you want him?’

Hongjoong grinned and tried his best to remain serious though the face tat Seokjin was making at him was making it horrendously difficult. He pursed his lips and schooled his expression as best he could. ‘I think Wooyoung would be a great addition to my crew, but that seems to be something that only Captain Jimin can decide and I don’t know if he trusts me _that_ much yet.’

‘That I don’t,’ Jimin replied, amused. ‘Come, let us talk at the _Mermaid’s Wail_. I want to hear more about how you managed to trick some of the best officers of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy.’

‘You’re not going to believe it when I tell you,’ Hongjoong replied with a laugh, rubbing his neck as he gestured with his free hand for his crew to follow Jimin, Taehyung and Seokjin to the tavern. Waiting outside the tavern was Wooyoung, a self-satisfied smirk on his lips and the owner of the tavern practically falling over himself to do whatever it was the young pirate wanted. Hongjoong let out a low whistle. ‘You weren’t kidding.’

Jimin chuckled. ‘You can’t make it aboard the _Swan_ if you can’t get your way with your looks and your cunning. Come, let us talk.’ He led everyone inside where Wooyoung had, in fact, gotten the owner to agree to kick everyone out on orders from the Pirate Lord _the Black Swan_. It was a wholly strange and surreal experience, sitting in a tavern with Jimin, Seokjin, Taehyung and Wooyoung, but Hongjoong was practically vibrating with excitement. Just minutes after landing in Tortuga, he was already having an audience with one of the High Council members. ‘So. Tell me about how you took the _INCEPTION_.’

Hongjoong laughed sheepishly as the tavern wench brought over several tankards of ale. ‘Yunho and Mingi created a huge distraction and talked very loudly and very specifically that they were trying to steal this ship for Captain Jiyong. Everybody on that ship boarded the garbage pail that we quickly put together as a decoy ship and when they were on that ship, we boarded the _INCEPTION_ and set sail,’ Hongjoong explained, laughing. ‘I didn’t think it would work!’

‘Are you _serious_ ,’ Seokjin gaped.

‘I am!’ Hongjoong protested, laughing.

‘There’s no way they were that stupid,’ Taehyung added, staring with wide eyes and an even wider smile.

‘No, it really did happen,’ Yunho confirmed, nodding. ‘We were expecting to fight them or something but nope; they just all boarded the ship and we took theirs and made way to Tortuga. Inside we found Yeosang and Jongho, who had been captured when they fought back against the Crown invasion in New Providence.’

Jimin let out a low whistle, taking an elegant sip from his tankard. ‘That’s honestly quite impressive,’ he said, shaking his head in disbelief. ‘But what now? You’ve made quite a splash and made yourself quite well known to the Navy by being the ones to steal the Commodore’s present to himself. He lost his promotion to Brigadier General to Kim Namjoon because of that.’

‘I’m still working on it,’ Hongjoong admitted. ‘I wanted to come to Tortuga and begin to make contacts here, work some collaborative raids with who we could, get the experience.’ He looked down at his pirate brand, and exhaled heavily. ‘But I want to get a good enough ship to go to Umberlee’s temple off the coast of Port Royal. I need to go there but the waters are dangerous and it’d be suicide to go on anything but the best ship I can find with the best crew I can put together.’

Jimin raised a fine eyebrow. ‘The Goddess Umberlee’s main temple? It _would_ be suicide to attempt the voyage if you haven’t already paid tribute to a temple on the mainland. Why do you need to go there?’

Pausing, Hongjoong set his tankard down and shifted, pulling his shirt up to show Jimin the Mark on the left side of his torso. ‘I’ve had this for as long as I can remember,’ he explained. ‘And I’ve been able to hear the sea as long as I’ve been able to form coherent thought. It’s been telling me to go to Umberlee’s main temple. I don’t know why, and I don’t know how I’m going to do it… but I _have_ to go there.’

Upon seeing the intricate Mark on Hongjoong’s torso, Jimin’s eyes widened and he paled. ‘The Mark of the Goddess,’ he whispered in disbelief. ‘You’ve been marked as one of Her chosen? Since birth? I’ve never heard of that happening. — have either of you?’ he looked at Seokjin, Taehyung and Wooyoung with a frown creasing his plush lips.

All three men shook their heads vehemently. ‘There’s never been talk of Umberlee giving her blessing to a child,’ Seokjin said, sparing a cautious glance to Hongjoong. ‘She’s a fickle Goddess who would much rather break a pact than initiate one.’

‘I’ve heard of her taking sailors and making them her _Drowned Sons_ once they’ve already been in her clergy, but … no, not a mark from _birth_ ,’ Wooyoung added.

‘And I’ve heard of her blessing the Pirate King,’ Taehyung started, shaking his head. ‘But one hasn’t been chosen in years… — do you think…?’

Jimin shook his head. ‘I wouldn’t dare presume to know what the Goddess of the Sea is thinking. But there is no doubt that is Her Mark.’ He fell silent for a long moment, painted nails drumming against his tankard. ‘Wooyoung. I release you from your bond to the _Black Swan_.’

Wooyoung choked on his ale and stared wide-eyed at the Pirate Lord. ‘Sir?!’

‘I want you to go with Captain Hongjoong and his crew to the Temple of Umberlee that is off the coast of Port Royal,’ Jimin said firmly, turning his attention to the young pirate. ‘You know where it is, correct?’

Wooyoung frowned but nodded dutifully. ‘Yes sir. My family… they were Umberlant Clerics, have been for generations. We made the voyage to the main Temple often.’

‘Good,’ Jimin said with a nod. ‘You will join his crew and show him the way to the Main Temple of Umberlee. What happens there is up to the Goddess. I’ve done my part.’ He smiled. ‘You’ve done well under my command, Wooyoung. Let me see what you can do when you spread your wings.’

Wooyoung’s eyes widened and he nodded quickly, bowing deeply. ‘Thank you, Captain!’ He turned to Hongjoong and bowed again. ‘You can count on me, Captain Hongjoong.’

Hongjoong couldn’t help the smile that creased his lips. ‘Welcome aboard, Wooyoung.’ It felt like things were finally starting to come together. But it wouldn’t mean anything if they couldn’t reach the Main Temple of the Sea Goddess Umberlee. Calling it a treacherous journey was an understatement; if the Goddess did not want you there, you would not make it there.

But Kim Hongjoong had made a life out of surviving when he shouldn’t have.

~ * ~

They’d barely made it to the Main Temple of the Sea Goddess Umberlee. Halfway from Port Royal they had been hit by a maelstrom, a storm of such powerful proportions that Hongjoong had the stray thought that this may be where his young life came to an end. The more prevailing part of him, however, was not going to let something like a sea storm stop him from making it to the Main Temple. He had been through many storms with the _BIGBANG_ , including one where a water cyclone lifted the ship into the air and smashed it down onto the waters, with the vessel somehow remaining intact. They’d managed to survive and make it to land, and Hongjoong kept the memory of how expertly Jiyong handled not only the storm but his panicking crew close to the forefront of his memory.

His voice was becoming shot with how often and how loudly he was barking out his orders, but it was difficult to be heard over the roar of the waves. Luckily, his crew, patched together from all different walks of life and backgrounds, came together and with their collective knowledge and a whole lot of luck, the _INCEPTION_ passed through the storm and made it out to the other side.

Wooyoung let out a loud cry of relief, falling half on the railing of the ship as everything evened out and they were on calm waters once more. ‘I can’t believe we made it,’ he whispered, soaked to the bone and suffering cuts from the razor sharp waves and flying debris. ‘—is everybody else okay?’ he called, somehow still having a good portion of his voice’s strength.

‘We’re all alive!’ Hongjoong confirmed, laughing hysterically as he slicked back his dark hair. Like the sea, Hongjoong’s hair could be bluish green one minute, and dark and murky the next; it depended on how the light hit it. ‘I don’t fucking believe it! You assholes are incredible! Did you _see_ how insane that storm was? You didn’t need me to tell you a thing! You just … KNEW.’

Yeosang shook his head wildly, spraying water on the battered decks. ‘You kept us straight-headed out there, Captain,’ he said, exhaling deeply. ‘We only kept it together because you made us.’

With another wild laugh, Hongjoong pulled the five other men into a tight hug. ‘Let’s go and pay our respects to the Sea Goddess, boys!’ He turned and ran up the deck to the helm, guiding the _INCEPTION_ into the sea-battered docks of the Main Temple of Umberlee. ‘Gods, do you see this? It’s gorgeous,’ Hongjoong breathed.

The Main Temple of the Sea Goddess Umberlee looked as if it had been carved out of beautiful sea stone, inlaid with jewels and all manner of gold accents. A giant statue of Umberlee herself curls around the temple, her spiked tentacles flaring out in all directions. Once the _INCEPTION_ has anchored and the ship secured, Hongjoong is the first off the vessel, never once breaking his stride as he makes his way to giant stone doors of the Temple.

‘Wait, we should —’ Wooyoung’s warning is cut off by a loud rumbling as the twin stone doors open with no prodding from anyone. Wooyoung didn’t even have time to do the customary prayer requesting entrance; the doors opened all on their own. ‘What the _hell_ is going on here?’

Yeosang raised an eyebrow. ‘Didn’t you hear the Black Swan? Captain Hongjoong’s got the Mark of Umberlee on him; she must want him to come here. Pick your jaw up off the floor; you look like a puffer fish.’

‘How fucking _dare_ you—’

‘—who the hell are you and what are you doing here?!’ a voice demanded, breaking up the blossoming chaos. Standing just inside the doors was a young man with dark hair and draped in the colours of an Umberlant cleric. His eyes were as sharp as his jawline and cheekbones, and he regarded the crew of the _INCEPTION_ with distrust. ‘I did not authorize these doors to open.’

Hongjoong stepped forward and held his hands up. ‘My name is Hongjoong and this is my crew. I’m here… because of this.” He lowered a hand, pulling up his shirt and revealing his Mark.

The man’s eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, his robes rustling as if they were the waters themselves, the white lining appearing like the foam of a cresting wave. Wooyoung’s face flushed as he realized that there was very little the surprisingly muscular and well-toned man was wearing underneath the thick ribbons of his robe that swirled around him with every movement and he _very pointedly_ kept his eyes directed elsewhere. These were _very_ different from the robes his parents wore when they were in the Sea Goddess’ clergy and the other Clerics were _definitely_ not as handsome as this one was. Maybe he should’ve made a journey to the Main Temple a lot earlier.

The Umerlant Cleric inspected Hongjoong’s Mark, his eyes widening just as Jimin’s had. ‘You said your name was Hongjoong?’ he asked, his voice cautious.

‘Yes. — were you expecting me?’ Hongjoong’s own eyes were wide now, wondering just how many people knew about his Mark except for him. ‘Wait. Before that. What’s your name?’

The Cleric blinked. ‘It’s San.’

Hongjoong smiled. ‘It’s nice to meet you, San. — this is Yunho, Mingi, Yeosang, Jongho, and Wooyoung. Went through quite the storm to get here! Didn’t expect to actually find someone here at the temple. Wooyoung was saying that the temple’s been abandoned for years.’

‘Just about,’ San sighed, casting a curious glance towards Wooyoung. ‘Umberlee has been… quite fickle as of late, with who say that they act in her name. There was something of a purge a while ago and it’s been just me since then. With how few people actually live through the maelstrom to get here, it’s been boring as hell so I’ve been going to the mainland and selling information in my downtime.’

‘An information dealer who daylights as an Umberlant Cleric?’ Hongjoong’s grin widened. ‘I’ve heard that Umberlant Clerics can command the Hydra. Is that true?’

‘Not everyone can,’ San clarified, gesturing for Hongjoong and the others to follow him further into the temple where it opened up into a massive open mouthed area, a stage that led out into the open waters of the sea. He turned and grinned at Hongjoong. ‘But I can.’

Jongho turned to Yeosang, shaking his head with a look of disbelief on his face. ‘Who the hell else are we going to meet the longer we’re with the Captain? Maybe next we’ll meet Umberlee herself.’

San laughed. ‘You’ll be able to check that one off the list now.’ He threw his arms out, a gorgeous staff made out of gold and coral appearing suddenly in his right hand. His muscles flexed at the motion of tightening around the staff, and Wooyoung’s attention was drawn to a gorgeous blue and green glittering Mark that seemed similar to Hongjoong’s torso Mark but much smaller and less intricate.

‘W-What are you going to do?’ Mingi asked, swallowing thickly.

San only winked before turning his attention back to the open mouth of the Temple’s ceiling. ‘ _Great Umberlee! Hear me, your Drowned Son! Queen of the Sea, Mistress of the Depths, your Chosen has arrived and begs your audience!_ ’

A thunderous crash of water roared suddenly as multiple cyclones manifested in the dark sea, spiralling higher and higher until they seemingly touched the darkening clouds. San’s staff acted as a beacon, glowing brightly and piercing through the shroud of darkness. Thunder, lightning, and the howling of the winds practically deafened Hongjoong and his crew, but it was nothing compared to the wretched wail that shook the Earth.

Hongjoong moved forward, despite the cries of his crew to stay where he was, until he was standing in front of San. The maelstrom raged, and out of the murky depths of the raging sea came the Goddess Herself, Umberlee. A towering woman hundreds of feet tall, with purple-hued green skin and blazing golden-yellow eyes, her tentacles spiked and spanning nearly the entire length of the ocean. Another powerful screech shattered the nearby cliffs, reducing them to nothing but dust.

As the Sea Goddess threw out her hands and quelled the storm that San raised to summon her, Hongjoong stood at the forefront, his eyes wide and a big smile on his lips. He was soaked down to his core and should be shaking out of his boots upon seeing the fearsome Goddess bearing down on him, but all Hongjoong could feel was … elation.

‘It’s you,’ he breathed, falling down to his knees to the hard tile. ‘You were the one that was calling me here, weren’t you? The one … that saved me. That was you.’

Umberlee stared down at him, her expression a mask of stoicism. Slowly, she lowered herself until she was at eye level with the young pirate Captain. ‘So you’ve finally come, little one,’ she said, her voice surprisingly soft despite its deep rumble. ‘You’ve grown into a Man and you’ve come with your brethren… you embody the name I gave you.’

Hongjoong’s eyes widened and a faint wave of dizziness caught him dead in the face. ‘You… you named me?’

‘The Sirens brought you to me,’ Umberlee explained, resting her great forearms on the rocky shore at the Temple’s edge. ‘They found you, a baby, in the midst of a shipwreck that had no survivors… except for you. You had no concept of the danger you were in… you giggled when they held you, you laughed and smiled at me when they brought you here.’

‘That… sounds like the Captain,’ Yeosang muttered, getting a sharp elbow to the gut by Wooyoung.

Umberlee, to their surprise, laughed loudly. ‘Such a strange child! You were utterly delighted to see me, to be surrounded by Sirens. I knew then you were special. You were… the one I had been waiting for. My King.’

‘Y-Your King?’ Hongjoong echoed. ‘You don’t mean—’

‘It has been some time since a King sat at the Head of the High Council of Pirates. There are four Lords, but no King. Now that you have proven worthy of my Mark, I will make it so.’ Umberlee raised herself to her full height, raising her lengthy arms to the skies as the waves crashed high and loudly behind her. ‘ _HEAR ME!_ ’ she bellowed, her voice carrying far and wide. ‘The Seas have become unbalanced, the men under the false Queen think they can rule MY waters! _BUT NO LONGER_. Now my King will sit upon his Throne and Rule in MY name! The King’s name is Hongjoong and he shall rule the _Horizon_ until his death!’

Suddenly, waves crashed into the Temple’s edge, sweeping up Hongjoong and bringing him into the water. The crew of the _INCEPTION_ cried out and tried to move forward, but were held back by San and a hastily thrown up barrier of magic. ‘You _cannot_ interfere,’ he said sternly.

‘She’s going to drown him!’ Yunho yelled, growling when he ran into San’s barrier. ‘You’re just going to let her kill him?!’

San turned and glared at the taller man, his eyes a vibrant, supernaturally tinted blue. ‘He is her Chosen! He won’t _stay_ dead but he _must_ die in the Sea to be reborn! Stay. Back. Or _you_ will be the one that gets claimed by the sea!’

‘You’re out of your _fucking mind_ —!’

Yunho’s cry was cut off by another thunderous crash of the waves, this time depositing Hongjoong’s body to the Temple’s edge at the same time a massive three-mast ship was pulled up from the depths, its wood as dark as the sea it came from but lined with gold. San kept the barrier up, keeping Hongjoong’s crew from going to the young Captain’s body despite their desperate pleas. Several long moments passed and the crew of the _INCEPTION_ grew more and more frantic until a choked gasp pulled itself out of Hongjoong and he coughed up a distressing amount of salt water. He turned onto his side and coughed until he became hoarse, pushing himself up to his feet.

Staggering to an upright position, Hongjoong breathed in a raw rasp, his eyes a dark golden brown - mirroring those of his Goddess, and his hair as dark and as beautiful as the water during a maelstrom as it was before, but now seemed more shine with the magic of the Sea Goddess herself. His old clothes had been torn to shreds, and in their place, the full and darkly gorgeous regalia of the Pirate King. A skull of a small kraken sat on his shoulder, greenish black feathers pinned underneath as the trailed down to the hem of his long coat. His eyes were lined with dark kohl, and he absently clawed at his side, pulling up his shirt to let the Mark of the Pirate King breathe - it felt like it was burning itself into his tanned skin.

Finally, San withdrew his barrier and allowed Hongjoong’s crew to rush to their Captain, standing to the side as they huddled around the newly minted King. His attention was quickly drawn away by Umberlee, who gestured with a large finger for the Cleric to come closer to her. As Yunho and the others pulled Hongjoong further inside the Temple, San walked away from them and towards his Goddess. He knelt, head bowed before the embodiment of the Sea’s Fury.

‘Yes, my Goddess?’

‘Go with them,’ Umberlee instructed, lowering herself so she was at eye level with her Cleric. ‘The King is young, inexperienced, and now all those who wish to control my waters will seek him out to claim his power. He will need you to guide him… and to bring his Siren to him.’

San’s brows furrowed and he raised his head. ‘His… Siren?’

‘Soon, you will meet a Siren named Seonghwa. Bring him to my King,’ Umberlee ordered, reaching out with a great hand to wrap around San’s right forearm. ‘Do this and I will see that your soulmate that was promised to you when you gave yourself to me comes to you.’

The young Umerlant Cleric’s eyes widened as he stared down at his forearm. There, his Mark of Umberlee had morphed into something more intricate. Hidden within the bluish green glittering wisps was now a name: _Jung Wooyoung_.

‘…I will see it done, my Goddess.’

~ * ~

Several months later, Hongjoong glanced up from his desk inside the Captain’s Cabin aboard the _Horizon_ , the ship the Goddess Umberlee raised Herself for her King and his crew. He smiled as San entered, dressed now in the garb of a pirate instead of his ceremonial robes as a Cleric of Umberlee. ‘Thank you for coming so quickly, San, I know you had some duties to attend to,’ Hongjoong said, rising from his seat. ‘You said you wanted to have your brand applied in private?’

‘Yes,’ San confirmed, closing the door behind him. ‘I know it was bold of me to make demands, but…’

‘It seemed like you had your reasons. But before we do this, I need to know what they are,’ Hongjoong replied as he moved out in front of his desk, but leaning back against it. ‘There can be no secrets between us, though I understand if you’re reticent to share it with the others.’

San nodded. ‘Yes, of course. The reason is … this.’ He held out his right arm, pushing his sleeve up to reveal his Mark of Umberlee. ‘Specifically… this right here.’ San swallowed and tapped the crest of the leftmost wave, where the name _Jung Wooyoung_ was written in beautiful cursive. ‘I can’t… have this showing, especially if I’m to continue my job as an information dealer. I understand that you still want me to do that?’

Hongjoong peered closely at the Mark, his eyes widening. ‘Wooyoung? That’s—’

‘—I know,’ San interrupted, shaking his head. ‘Please. You can’t tell him. Not only is it hard to explain, I do not wish to force anybody into anything like that just because … just because the Goddess Herself says that we’re to be together. I barely know him and he barely knows me. It would be a mess.’

A frown creased the Pirate King’s lips, but he nodded. ‘I understand,’ he said finally. ‘And I agree. I won’t say a word to Wooyoung about this; this is between the two of you. But I will still need to apply the Brand to you.’

‘I understand.’ San exhaled deeply. ‘I’m ready.’

Hongjoong nodded and plucked the poker out of the basket of hot coals that had been smouldering behind them for some time now, the smoke escaping out the opened porthole. ‘… it sucks, I won’t lie. But take a deep breath and I’ll get it done with as soon as I can,’ Hongjoong said, glancing upwards to San’s pensive face.

San exhaled again and nodded slowly. ‘Do it now. — Please,’ he added hastily. He squeezed his eyes shut and hissed out in pain as Hongjoong applied the brand to his forearm, nestled underneath his Mark of Umberlee. ‘Fuck!’

‘Just a little bit more — okay!’ Hongjoong quickly removed the brand and chucked it into a raised bowl of water, quickly grabbing a damp cloth in another bowl and pressing it to San’s arm. San watched through watery eyes as Hongjoong cleaned him up and carefully wrapped his newly applied brand in thick, dry bandages. ‘I can now officially welcome you aboard the _Horizon_ , San. Lucky for you, I have your first official mission. Unfortunately for you, it’s a bit of a doozy.’

The Umerlant Cleric’s brows furrowed. ‘What do you mean?’

Hongjoong carefully guided San to the chair in front of his desk, and sat up on top of the large mahogany desk instead of in his chair behind it. Such was the unorthodox nature of the newly minted Pirate King. ‘Word’s beginning to spread that the Goddess has chosen a Pirate King to sit at the Head of the High Council in advance of the first meeting of the Brethren Court in… from what I can gather, _years_. Doubtless that the Royal Navy will be breathing down my neck soon trying to put my head on a pike outside the Governor’s Manse in Port Royal.’

San blinked slowly. ‘Yes, that goes without saying. So?’

‘ _So_ , that’s where you come in.’

‘I’m not following.’

Hongjoong grinned. ‘You’re more than just an information dealer, San, and far more than just the Umberlant Cleric that was watching the Main Temple as you’ve been trying to lead me to believe. As one of the few _Drowned Sons_ of the Goddess Umberlee that still lives, you have an impressively deep information network … one that you constructed yourself. You’re quite infamous amongst the Sirens, you know… they told me all sorts of things about you, how you could pull secrets from the firmest of lips and how many secrets you truly knew. They wanted to know how you did it, so they could do it themselves.’

San’s eyes widened and he felt faint. ‘You can… sir, _Sirens?_ You can—?’

The Pirate King continued as if he hadn’t heard San’s interjection. ‘So. What you’re going to do, San, is that you’re going to infiltrate Her Majesty’s Royal Navy and pretend to be a wide-eyed, bushy-tailed recruit. You’re going to feed _just_ enough information to your superiors that they realize how valuable you would be within their ranks… and then you’re going to relay whatever you learn about their movements to me. The hope is that they assign you to spy on me and they’ll never know how far behind the ball they are when it comes to getting one over on me.’

San’s eyes widened. ‘You _want_ me to spy on them for you while I spy on you for them?! Are you out of your mind?’

The young Pirate King smirked and leaned back on his hands. ‘Probably. But I know you can do it.’

‘There’s no way they’re going to believe that I’m just a regular recruit,’ San protested. ‘I’m more valuable to you by filtering information, you know that.’

Hongjoong tsked. ‘That’s where you’re wrong, Sannie. You’re a born spy, and there’s a reason why Umberlee has kept you as the sole Cleric to protect her Main Temple… all by yourself. You can’t tell me it’s solely the maelstrom that has protected that Temple. No … you’ve created quite the aura of protection from word of mouth alone. The Hydra and the Sirens help, yes, but men are stupid and you’ve found a way to keep them away with the power of what you hold over them. _That_ is why I believe you can do this.’

San’s eyes widened; he had greatly underestimated the Pirate King and as he stared at Hongjoong, he could see why Umberlee chose him. In such a short amount of time, Hongjoong had identified the biggest threat to his newly acquired seat, and figured out who would be the best person to help him deal with it. He’d pegged San’s entire identity within a scant few months; the Cleric shuddered to think what Hongjoong could do with more information. ‘…I understand, sir. This is going to take a long time; I’m probably not going to be able to be able to meet with you or pass messages to you in the normal course for a handful of years.’

‘I know. The others won’t know why you left, only that you did on my command. This mission … stays between the two of us.’

‘I understand, Captain.’

Hongjoong smiled. ‘Well, let’s get you to Port Royal and enlisted, Sannie.’

San gave his Captain a smirk. ‘I can’t wait to fulfill my duty as a loyal Crown servant of Her Majesty the Queen. Long May She Reign.’

‘We’re going to have to train that attitude out of you; I don’t think the Royal Navy’s going to appreciate that smart mouth of yours as much as I do.’

‘Probably not.’

~ * ~

When Hongjoong had sent San to enlist with the Royal Navy to spy on them, he hadn’t anticipated that San would return not two years later with the beautiful man he’d seen at Port Royal when he was a teenager. His communication with San over the past two years had largely been through Umberlee’s messengers, and very rarely in person under cloak and dagger when they met up in random port towns.

He had to give it to San: no one in the Royal Navy thought that his allegiance was anywhere except with Her Majesty the Queen and better yet, they’d even promoted him to Lieutenant and sent him on a crucial mission… to infiltrate the _Horizon_. Without realizing it, the Royal Navy had not only brought back his crewmate but sent with him the man that Hongjoong had been desperate to see again.

It had worked out better than Hongjoong could ever hope for, but all thoughts of his plan flew out the window when he laid eyes on Seonghwa, looking almost ethereal on the sun kissed decks of the _Horizon_ in the midday sun. It was obvious from the jump that Seonghwa wasn’t comfortable on a pirate ship and that he was clearly a naval officer, but to his credit, he kept his composure and instead silently took in his surroundings as if committing it to memory. How Hongjoong wanted those beautiful eyes to be on him… and _only_ him.

‘So, what makes you think that I’m going to take you two on my crew?’ Hongjoong asked, finally remembering how to form words. His voice wasn’t at its usual smoothness and had even cracked. His crew _definitely_ noticed, sending knowing looks to one another with shit-eating grins.

Seonghwa had looked at him then, with his piercing blue eyes and stern expression, and it took everything in Hongjoong’s power to keep himself composed. ‘You’ve been a hairsbreadth from being captured multiple times over the last two years; running with a skeleton crew like this is practically handing yourself over to the Brigadier General with a nice bow. Between San and myself, we can ensure that your ship runs smoothly. And more importantly, that it runs efficiently.’

The Pirate King raised an eyebrow. ‘A bold claim to make. Where is your proof?’

‘The only proof you’ll accept are results, and I will give them to you if you take San and I onto your ship,’ Seonghwa replied, barely missing a beat. ‘If I don’t, you’re within your rights to string me up in the middle of Tortuga the moment you’re unsatisfied.’

There was no way that Hongjoong was going to let Seonghwa out of his sight, not when the Goddess had smiled upon him so and brought them together. Hongjoong smirked. ‘You are a bold one, aren’t you, Park Seonghwa? — Welcome aboard the _Horizon_ … I hope you’ve got a high pain tolerance. To run with pirates means that you’ve got to get yourself a pirate’s brand.’

Seonghwa’s sea blue eyes were sharp as he held Hongjoong’s gaze and the Pirate King hoped that his heart was not as loud as it felt beating out of his chest. ‘So be it.’

~ * ~

Park Seonghwa was the most intriguing man that Hongjoong had ever met. He dutifully, and without complaint, worked his way up from the very bottom of the crew to the top. Whatever he said he could do, he did and whatever he didn’t know how to do, he learned within _days_. Despite being the most junior member of the _Horizon_ in terms of seniority, Seonghwa quickly became the backbone of the ship. The other members of the crew began going to him for advice, and he naturally became the point man for how the ship ran before matters went to the Captain himself. Hongjoong definitely had a competency kink, and by the gods, did Seonghwa hit all the right marks for him.

The Pirate King decided to test Seonghwa’s grace under pressure one day, dropping a surprise raid on the elegant man a scant two months after Seonghwa’s arrival. The rest of the crew was aware of it, but he’d only spoken about a raid in vague terms to Seonghwa. ‘Banshees!’ Hongjoong called from up high on his perch at the helm, ‘we board!’

‘ _What?_ ’ Seonghwa hissed, blue eyes flashing. ‘Captain, I have to caution against this, that’s a _civilian vessel_ —’

Hongjoong smirked. ‘Is it? You said it yourself that they were misusing funds from Her Majesty the Queen. We’re just putting the money to better use. – Banshees! To battle!’

Yunho, Mingi, and Wooyoung grinned, getting into position on the railing of the ship as they neared their target. Suddenly, and startling Seonghwa, the three young men let out a truly frightening series of screams as they boarded, swords drawn. Seonghwa watched with wide eyes as Hongjoong jumped into the fray with Jongho and Yeosang following shortly afterwards.

‘Time for your trial by fire,’ San had said as he dragged Seonghwa aboard, the last two into the battle.

While Hongjoong controlled the chaos of a raid from within the eye of the storm with his energy and his commanding presence, Seonghwa became the grounding force on the outside that the crew needed to stay on task. His eye and composure under pressure was something to behold and if possible, Hongjoong had fallen further for the beautiful man. He had it bad and he knew it.

However, he wasn’t stupid; he knew why Seonghwa was there. He’d been given orders, likely from the Brigadier General himself, to spy on Hongjoong and the _Horizon_ , lead them into some kind of obvious trap set in the Crown stronghold of Port Royal. San had said as much, and Hongjoong wasn’t surprised to see it already set into motion. Well… if he had a part to play in this little drama, so he might as well make it fun.

On a subsequent night following the highly successful raid, he found Seonghwa sitting on the figurehead of the ship, sitting out on the furthest point, balancing on the ornate piece of wood like he weighed nothing as he sang a beautiful, yet truly melancholic song. Hongjoong’s brows furrowed; he knew that language – it was the language of the Sirens. Glancing down below the figurehead of the _Horizon_ , Hongjoong saw a siren, wide-eyed and with beautiful golden yellow hair.

He recalled hearing it in his memory… though he couldn’t speak the language, he could understand it. Thinking back to when Umberlee anointed him the Pirate King, she’d told him that it was the Sirens that saved him and brought him to her the night of a shipwreck. She’d said he’d laughed and played with them, completely unaware of what danger he was in. He was somehow unsurprised to have learned that this had been the pattern for him since he literally first started to breathe. In the subsequent years, he’d occasionally see the sirens, giving them a greeting and the direction of where some particularly choice prey were sailing.

‘You’re out of practice, Prince!’

Hongjoong sat over the railing before the figurehead, leaning back against one of the supportive masts, one leg resting on the wood, the other hanging off. ‘Sterling for your thoughts?’ he asked quietly, figuring that Seonghwa had likely heard him approaching. 

He was surprised then to see the older man jump, and grip the figurehead’s base below him to steady himself. ‘Captain,’ he stammered, face turning a bright shade of red that was easy to see even in the darkened night sky. ‘I thought you’d retired for the night.’

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow; seemed like he caught Seonghwa off guard after all. It was… cute, how flustered he got. ‘Couldn’t sleep. Seems like you couldn’t either. – You were singing just now. I don’t recognize the language.’

A little white lie. He heard when siren called him _Prince_.

Seonghwa tensed and looked back out at the murky water. Hongjoong followed his line of sight to where the siren was pressed up against the bow of the ship. ‘It’s… please, I shouldn’t… you’ll be upset with me.’

‘I doubt that.’

Clearly hesitant, Seonghwa looked over at him. ‘I know how superstitious pirates are. It’s not something… good. Please, let’s forget this… pretend you didn’t hear anything, see anything.’

Hongjoong didn’t move from where he was, and didn’t acknowledge the siren that was curiously watching both of them from below the precarious structure they sat on. ‘I have a feeling this is something more tangible than the standard ‘we don’t want witches using the scattered eggshells as a vessel so no hardboiled eggs onboard’ type of nonsense.’

‘No, it’s worse,’ Seonghwa whispered. ‘Please, I don’t want to lose my place here. There’s… nowhere else for me to go if I am to leave the _Horizon_.’

Something in Hongjoong’s heart clenched. He knew Seonghwa was playing a part, trying to follow his orders and get closer to Hongjoong. He would say anything to stay, and Hongjoong would say anything to make him think that he didn’t know from the jump that Seonghwa was lying to him. They were dancing a dance that the other was not supposed to know they were a part of. ‘You can speak freely here, Seonghwa; I’m not like the other Captains.’ He chuckled. ‘You’ve seen how much shit Yeosang gives me.’

He could see the other man tense as he stared down at the siren in the waters, who now looked past him to Hongjoong, who then winked at her. She giggled and put her scaly hands to her mouth, surprisingly bashful for a creature of the deep that easily lured men to their deaths. Seonghwa’s eyes widened and he looked back at Hongjoong. ‘—What? Did you know she was there?’

With the jig up, Hongjoong nodded. ‘I saw her but it seemed like you two were talking so I pretended I didn’t,’ he explained, resting his head back against the mast. ‘…if you’re worried about whether or not I care that you can talk to Sirens, I don’t. I’m not going to throw you overboard because of that.’

Seonghwa frowned. ‘How can you say that so easily?’

‘Sirens saved my life when I was a baby,’ Hongjoong explained, smiling. ‘They brought me to Umberlee, and she named me. Since then, Sirens have been … they’ve been good to me. Not that I sought them out and we have drinks together, but… I like them. They’re feisty, they’re smart. Beautiful, of course, but they’re so… so smart. I love that. I don’t speak their language, but they can understand me and I can understand them.’

He remembered so clearly how Seonghwa stared at him then, caught between caution and finally being able to speak freely about something he had been told repeatedly to keep to himself. ‘You’re so strange,’ he whispered in disbelief.

Hongjoong blinked and laughed. ‘I guess I am,’ he admitted. He looked down at the siren in the water. ‘Were you singing to him?’ She nodded, giggling into her hands. ‘Don’t stop on my account, it sounded lovely.’

‘Captain,” Seonghwa interrupted, shaking his head. ‘You _do_ know what this means, don’t you? Not just anyone can speak with the Sirens, or sing with them. I’m not _human_. Aren’t you… upset? Disgusted? Scared? Even if… even if they saved you, I’m not… a normal Siren. You should want me _dead_. I’m bad luck, I’m—’

Curious, Hongjoong tilted his head. It was difficult to keep his expression schooled when all he wanted was to pull the other man into his arms and fiercely convince him that he was worthy of respect and his _love_ , no matter “what” he was.

‘Seonghwa… you’re you. As long as you do your work aboard the ship and keep your head on your shoulders, whatever… no, hold on.’ Hongjoong sighed, rubbing his forehead. He had to choose his words carefully, this was _important_. ‘All parts of you are you, none of them are _bad_. Especially not this. Do you know how amazing it is that you can sing the _Dirge of the Sirens?_ That you can… sing their songs at all? The magic you must be able to command… it’s incredible. _You’re_ incredible... a male Siren that passes as a human, it’s unbelievable. Though … I imagine you’d be beautiful in their form as well.’ He laughed. ‘This explains how you were able to corral my ragtag group of misfits like nothing.’

Seonghwa looked caught, his eyes desperately searching Hongjoong’s for some type of lie; some type of clue that could let him shut this down. However, Hongjoong’s eyes were an open book; he’d never hidden anything when it came to himself for as long as he’d been alive. He thrived off being able outsmart his opponents who thought they knew everything about him. He loved to surprise them, to subvert expectations. ‘You… truly think so, don’t you?’

‘I do,’ Hongjoong confirmed seriously. ‘This is a _gift_ you have, Seonghwa. And… I’d like to hear you sing if you’d let me. – You don’t have to tell the others; I’d never force you to do so… but … I don’t think you should hide this part of you. It’s… well, it’s a part of you. You should embrace it.’ He smiled from where he was, still maintaining his respectful distance. ‘It makes you, you.’

‘…Captain…’

‘Please, Seonghwa. When we’re like this, you can call me Hongjoong.’

It was a risky play; Seonghwa was still very new to the ship and was trying to get closer to Hongjoong because of his orders. But… Hongjoong couldn’t help himself; he _wanted_ to be as close to Seonghwa as possible. It was stupid, it was reckless, but Hongjoong was going out of his mind with what he’d realized was love. He had to be careful, his mind didn’t know Seonghwa from the Siren in the water, but … his heart did.

Realization flashed on Seonghwa’s handsome features and he looked away, a blush on his cheeks. Hongjoong couldn’t help but smile; Seonghwa was more of a traditionalist than Hongjoong originally thought. Being told to use Hongjoong’s first name must have sounded like something of a confession. Seonghwa said nothing but turned back to the siren in the black waters, beginning to sing again – this time with more confidence. Quietly, Hongjoong closed his eyes and listened to the song, to Seonghwa’s beautiful voice and a smile creased his chapped lips. Sirens had saved his life, and now he’d fallen head over heels in love with one.

The Gods truly did love to tie things together with the bow of fate, didn’t they?

~ * ~

Since that night, it seemed like a dam had broken and Seonghwa had begun to specifically seek Hongjoong out – not only for matters that concerned the ship, but to shyly ask for him to be an audience in the dead of night when he would practice his song magic with various sirens. It was something just the two of them shared, and Hongjoong was fiercely protective of it … and of Seonghwa. As much as he tried to keep himself objective when it came to the older man, it was becoming more and more difficult.

He’d even started referring to Seonghwa as _The Horizon’s Siren_ , a nickname that began to spread as the _Horizon’s_ notoriety did. At first, Seonghwa had been embarrassed and upset, but Hongjoong assured him with light touches and sincere words that it was nothing to be ashamed of; Seonghwa could take control of the name, make it his own. For once in his life, Hongjoong argued, Seonghwa could be the one that decided what his name would mean when others heard it.

What he would give to have the look Seonghwa gave him bottled and kept close to his chest. Hongjoong wasn’t proud of it, but what caused his resolve to finally snap was seeing how close Seonghwa was getting with Yunho and Wooyoung. They were laughing, getting touchy feely and it was driving Hongjoong insane. He knew that Yunho knew for a fact how he felt about Seonghwa, and the rest of the crew was likely aware of it as well; Hongjoong was a terrible fucking liar when it came to certain things. Wooyoung was _intentionally_ draping himself all over Seonghwa, and Hongjoong had just about had enough.

So perhaps it was abusing his power as Captain when he called Seonghwa to his Quarters that night, breathlessly asking Seonghwa if he could kiss him with his lips mere millimetres away from the siren’s. ‘You’re asking me?’ Seonghwa had asked, cheeks flushed and shyness suddenly radiating all over him. He was flat on his back on Hongjoong’s bed, black hair splayed out like a starburst.

‘Of course I’m _asking_ you,’ Hongjoong breathed, his gaze heavy. ‘I’m not going to force you. I’ve said it before and I mean it.’

‘… you do, don’t you?’ Seonghwa murmured, seconds before pulling Hongjoong down for a deep kiss. He hadn’t anticipated that the siren would initiate the kiss, and Hongjoong forced down a shiver of arousal before returning the kiss with equal passion. Their first night together had been a careful dance, and never had Hongjoong been more thankful for his insistence of going slowly than when he first heard Seonghwa’s beautiful, deep moan pressed tightly to his ear as Hongjoong entered him. ‘Please, I … I need you.’

‘You’ll have me,’ Hongjoong had whispered, moving as slow and steady as the sea below them. Nothing felt more natural that having Seonghwa in his arms, and now that he’d had the siren in his bed, now that he’d tasted him and _made love_ to him, Hongjoong was not about to let him go.

He was in too deep.

~ * ~

Seonghwa had been aboard the _Horizon_ for just over seven months when Hongjoong knew that he wanted to marry him. A cynical part of him knew he could push Seonghwa’s obligational buttons, make it seem like the older man had to say yes to taking the Oath in order to succeed in his mission, but Hongjoong wasn’t that type of man. He knew it might seem like that to Seonghwa, that the only reason to say yes would be to further his chances of a successful mission… but he was betting on his instinct that Seonghwa truly felt the same way about him.

Exhaling softly, Hongjoong stared out at the fiery red sea, alight from the fires and excitement in Tortuga. He sat out on a dock, one leg bent, and the other dangling over the edge of the pier. There was a slight pressure tugging on his boot that hung over the edge of the pier, and he smiled seeing a siren – the same one that he had met when he heard Seonghwa sing for the first time. ‘Hello,’ he greeted kindly. ‘I haven’t seen you in a while.’

‘It’s too noisy here, not very easy to eat,’ she explained, tilting her head from side to side. ‘Where is Prince Seonghwa?’

Hongjoong grinned. ‘Oh, so he _is_ a Prince!’ The siren squeaked and put a hand to her mouth, eyes wide. He chuckled and lightly poked her with his heeled boot. ‘ _His Highness_ is making sure that my men don’t drink themselves stupid even though I told him it’s a fool’s errand. – ah, you know… you’re just the one I wanted to talk to.’

The blinked. ‘Does it have to do with the Prince?’

‘Yes, yes,’ Hongjoong confirmed. He smiled as the siren hung off his boot, resting her chin on his shin. ‘I want … I want to marry him. I plan to ask Umberlee to bind us by the laws of the Sea. But … I must admit, I don’t know anything about Siren mating rituals. Is it different for someone like the Prince?’

The siren gasped and hopped off his leg, her eyes wide. ‘You want to marry the Prince! Oh, he’ll be so happy. He likes you too.’

 _This_ was news. ‘—he does?’ Hongjoong asked, despite himself.

Quickly, the siren nodded. ‘He won’t admit it to himself, though. But we all know he does… it comes out when he sings. Every time he sings, the only thing we can hear is your name.’ She beamed. ‘The Prince has the nicest voice, doesn’t he?’

‘He does,’ Hongjoong agreed, his mind reeling.

He stared as the siren suddenly disappeared beneath the murky black waters of the night sea, and Hongjoong pulled his legs back, sitting cross-legged as he wondered if the siren had gone to tell her sisters what she’d just learned. The last thing he needed were chatterbox sirens ruining the surprise before he could ask Seonghwa how he felt about the whole thing. Suddenly, almost a half hour later, several more sirens popped their heads out of the water, one of them holding a seaweed-encrusted chest.

‘Ah, evening,’ he greeted them all, bowing slightly.

The eldest of the group chuckled, a raspy sound. She swam forward, holding out the narrow and thin chest. It seemed to be a jewelry case now that he could see it more clearly. Carefully, but with surprising strength, the siren opened the box to reveal a gorgeous choker, encrusted with rare sea stones and gemstones, sparkling bright even in the dark of the night. ‘This is the only piece worthy of the Prince,’ she explained. ‘However, you cannot use it like humans use their fake rocks and shiny metals.’

Hongjoong’s brows furrowed as he leaned forward to inspect the choker. ‘What do you mean?’

‘…only when the Prince becomes one with the sea, when he has made his choice, will this be appropriate,’ the eldest siren answered softly. ‘It will harm him otherwise.’

‘What do you… what do you mean, become one with the sea?’ Hongjoong was almost afraid of the answer.

‘When he returns to it,’ was all the siren said as she placed the box in his hands. ‘You will know. It is like when the Goddess crowned you King.’

Hongjoong’s eyes widened. He looked down at the case, carefully closing the lid and pressing it tight to his chest. ‘I understand; I’ll keep this safe until then… until he’s made his choice… when he becomes one with the sea, I’ll … I’ll keep this until then.’

The sirens smiled at him and they crowded around him, placing soft kisses to the palms of his hands and giving him well wishes for the Prince’s positive answer to his affections. They chattered amongst themselves before disappearing back into the water, leaving Hongjoong with a present he couldn’t give until he was sure that Hongjoong loved him and admitted it to himself. A frown creased the young King’s lips as he opened the box, running his fingers along the beautiful stones – he could so easily see it around Seonghwa’s slender neck, the only thing that could ever compare to the man’s beauty both inside and out.

He wouldn’t give it to him now… he would wait until the time was right.

He owed Seonghwa that.

It would be several weeks before they would dock again, this time in Port Royal, and Hongjoong decided he’d had enough of his own internal whining; he’d ask Seonghwa to marry him that day. He knew that Seonghwa would hate a big event, probably hate it even more if it was just in front of the crew, though Hongjoong knew that there was something powerful developing between the two of them. Despite himself, Hongjoong found himself leading Seonghwa through the colony’s market, where he’d first seen him all those years ago.

Seonghwa seemed to be looking around with the eyes of someone who didn’t think they’d see the port town again and Hongjoong bit his lip; he wanted so badly to tell Seonghwa of the first time he truly saw him, but he couldn’t. It would ruin everything… and he wasn’t confident that now was the time to let that reveal itself. Perhaps he was foolish, thinking that there wasn’t an end date to their time together, but Hongjoong was stubborn – their time would be up when he said it was.

‘Is there a reason you brought me away from the others?’ Seonghwa asked, his tone light but prodding. Hongjoong always loved how he could hear a slight melody in Seonghwa’s voice, how it could be powerful and firm, but light and sweet depending on the Siren’s mood.

‘Mm,’ Hongjoong confirmed as he passed by the front of the old blacksmith’s shop, ‘I want to ask you to marry me, but I figured you’d hate a big spectacle,’ he said easily. He stopped and regarded Seonghwa, his brown eyes glinting gold in the midday sun.

‘W-What?’ unsurprisingly, Seonghwa was floored. ‘Me? I know… that we… you … you want to? To _me?_ ’

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. ‘Yes, you. Do you think I do those things with everyone?’

It came out a bit more biting than he’d intended, but instinctively, he did want Seonghwa to know that there was _no one else_ for him. Seonghwa flinched briefly almost too quickly for anyone to notice if they hadn’t been looking for it. ‘Apologies, I … didn’t mean it like that. I just… I’m surprised. You could have the pick of anyone you wanted, you’re the… Chosen King, after all,’ he explained, sea blue eyes searching Hongjoong’s. ‘There are better choices than me.’

He would say that a lot, Hongjoong noticed. At first he wondered if it came from a place of self-consciousness, or if he was feeling some sort of guilt at trying to honey-trap the Pirate King, but the more Hongjoong got to know Seonghwa, the more he realized it was both. Carefully, Hongjoong took his Lieutenant’s hand in his, raising it so he could place a soft kiss to Seonghwa’s left ring finger.

‘There is no other choice for me,’ Hongjoong answered firmly. ‘The Goddess chose you for me, and me for you, I believe that. If you don’t wish to marry me, that’s all right; I would never force you, Seonghwa. But please… think about it.’

Silence seemed to stretch for an eternity, and Hongjoong felt as if he wanted to crawl into a hole and die. As confident as he appeared on the outside, he was terrified down to his core of the other man’s answer. A part of him had been banking on Seonghwa saying yes because of his mission, but more so, that he _wanted_ to be with Hongjoong as much as the Captain wanted to be with him. His chest felt as if it were about to burst, and he would have to send apologies from beyond the grave to the poor blacksmith for fucking his shop up a second time.

Seonghwa looked down at their hands, his expression frustratingly blank. ‘You intend to ask the Goddess Umberlee to marry us? You know that would mean you would be stuck with me forever… well. I don’t know if I could live for very long, having such a dashingly handsome husband. You might be a widow before you’re 30.’

Hongjoong’s eyes widened and he nearly choked on air; if Seonghwa’s crippling self-confidence issues and flashes of guilt popped up frequently, the moments of his unabashed confidence and devastatingly powerful flirting were far more infrequent but always hit their mark. ‘I’ll take the chance,’ he said, boldly touching Seonghwa’s cheek, trailing his ring-adorned fingers down the man’s slender neck where he envisioned the Siren’s choker would hang. He’d look gorgeous in it. He’d look gorgeous in anything. ‘Is that a yes?’

‘Yes,’ Seonghwa confirmed, leaning down the scant few inches to capture Hongjoong’s lips in a soft kiss. ‘I love you, Hongjoong…’

How that was music to his ears. Even if he knew Seonghwa was here for another reason, Hongjoong was certain that the look in the Siren’s eyes was genuine. He could hear it in his voice. He could hear it in his heart. Even if it was foolish to love someone this much, Hongjoong had always believed in his heart and would follow it to the ends of the Earth.

He just hoped Seonghwa would be there with him.

‘I love you too, Seonghwa.’ He smiled against his lips. ‘The Goddess will bless us both, and we’ll sail the Seven Seas now and forever.’

‘I hope so.’

From there, word had spread like wildfire to the crew, and all other plans were scrapped and replaced with the much more important plan of getting enough supplies to make the journey to Umberlee’s Main Temple. Hongjoong truly felt that he was on top of the world, and as he looked over to his left where Seonghwa stood beside him at the _Horizon’s_ helm, he knew that this was this was the life he dreamed of, that he would fight tooth and nail to protect alongside those within it.

‘I can’t believe we’re going there _again_ ,’ Wooyoung whined, resting his forehead against the bannister of the ship’s side. ‘We barely survived the first time!’

San smirked. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll hold your hand this time.’

‘Shut up!’ He blinked. ‘Wait; are you going to be the one to marry them? You’re an ordained Umerlant Cleric, aren’t you?’

San blinked back at him. ‘Yes, but with something like this, Umberlee is going to want to do it herself. If I do it, I’m as good as dead. Besides, they’ll need six witnesses… by being joined by the Oath, they’ll represent one Sea, and we’ll represent the other six.’

‘That’s really sweet,’ Mingi said wistfully, wiping at his eyes. ‘I really didn’t think that I’d get to see a wedding in a life like this.’

‘It’s not going to be a typical wedding,’ Yunho pointed out, sympathetically patting Mingi’s broad shoulder. ‘But yeah, same. Definitely didn’t think it would be the Captain getting married, either.’

‘Bold talk coming from someone who’s forgotten that I can still throw him in the brig for insubordination,’ Hongjoong muttered.

Yunho scoffed. ‘The Lieutenant wouldn’t let you unless you had a good reason.’

‘I don’t know,’ Seonghwa said, surprising them, ‘it sounds like a good reason to me.’ He chuckled as he stepped off the _Horizon_ first once they docked at the shores of Umberlee’s Temple, the picture of composure and elegance despite the fact it was his first time coming there. He glanced over as San joined him, Hongjoong barely hearing their conversation. ‘Yes?’

‘Are you sure about this?’ San was saying, keeping his voice just high enough that Hongjoong could hear him and no one else. They tended to speak in the Queen’s Coded Language, and Hongjoong had been brushing up on it while San was back on the _Horizon_. He hated keeping secrets from Seonghwa, but the time wasn’t right. It was too dangerous to let anything slip, and he needed to ensure that that the Oath was in place so that he could protect Seonghwa when the time came.

‘I’m sure,’ Seonghwa had replied, no hesitation in his voice. ‘I want this, as does the Captain. Making the Oath makes sense.’

‘The Sea Goddess will know if you’re untruthful,’ San warned.

‘I know. I’m not.’

‘… Let’s hope so.’

That was the final test, Hongjoong knew. He could love Seonghwa until he was blue in the face, but if Seonghwa wasn’t truthful with himself, if he could not pass the Goddess’ test with the Oath, then he was as good as dead. All the faith that Hongjoong had in him would mean nothing if the Goddess found he had been lying, or if he was unfaithful. She was fickle, but she had been fiercely protective of Hongjoong since his birth; her wrath would not be quelled if Hongjoong had been harmed in some way.

The Pirate King exhaled deeply and held his hand out for Seonghwa to take, waiting until he felt the older man squeeze in confirmation before stepping through the heavy doors of the temple and out to the main stage. ‘It’s beautiful isn’t it?’

‘How… it looks like it has all four walls from the outside…’ Seonghwa breathed, his sea blue eyes wide, pink lips slack from shock.

Hongjoong smiled. ‘The power of the Sea Goddess,’ he replied, pressing a kiss to Seonghwa’s fingers. ‘Hang on tight; she’s quite the sight to see.’ Clearing his throat, Hongjoong held out his hand, summoning a fearsomely elegant black bladed sword whose affixed charms jangled ominously. ‘ _Great Queen of the Seas, the almighty Goddess Umberlee! Hear me, Your Chosen King and your Drowned Son, Kim Hongjoong! I seek your Blessing to marry the Prince of the Sirens, Park Seonghwa!_ ’ 

It had been the first time he used Seonghwa’s official title aloud to the others, and he could feel Seonghwa instinctively tense beside him. In response, Hongjoong kissed the back of his hand again, his expression not changing. He hoped his eyes would say what his words could not: _I love you, all of you, until the end of time. Nothing in your past would deter me_.

Seonghwa opened his mouth to say something, but was abruptly cut off by the roar of the waves and the banshee wail of the Ocean’s Fury, the Goddess Umberlee. Seonghwa’s eyes widened and he paled considerably as the massive deity emerged from the waters as a storm raged around her, lightning, thunder, and wickedly strong winds whipping around the gathered eight men. He fell to his knees, bowing his head in deference.

‘Goddess Umberlee,’ he began, forcing his voice to be steady, praying to the gods for the strength to continue, ‘I seek your blessing to marry your Chosen, your King, by the laws and the power you do command over the Seven Seas.’

‘Rise, Princeling,’ Umberlee rumbled, her voice deep and fearsome, continuing only when Seonghwa stood on both feet at Hongjoong’s side. ‘I have been waiting for you to find my King. It took you some time, and even now, you seem far away. But there is no doubting that you are to be his, and he is to be yours. The Fates have willed it, the Sirens have willed it, and I will see it done.’ She looked down at Hongjoong. ‘And you, my King. Do you will it?’

‘I do.’ Hongjoong nodded firmly.

‘Then it is done! Bound now, as eternal and as constant as the sea and the tide that turns, are the two of you - for now, for always, into this life and the next,’ Umberlee decreed, her arms spread wide. ‘You will live by the sea and you will die by it! But you will do so at each other’s sides! Should either one of you break it, my fury will know no bounds. If anyone dares to harm my Chosen, then theirs will be a watery death!’

Seonghwa cried out as his arm blazed with pain, Umberlee’s brand searing into the flesh of his right forearm, imprinting itself above his Pirate’s Brand. Hongjoong held him tight, ignoring the terrifyingly sharp pain that ratcheted through his own arm; Seonghwa was his first and only priority. ‘Match my breathing, Seonghwa… I’m here, you’re here… you’re safe, it’s okay.’

‘You didn’t say it would hurt so much…’ Seonghwa whispered, staring up at him.

‘Anything worth it hurts,’ Hongjoong whispered back, capturing his husband’s lips in a deceptively sweet kiss. ‘But I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, Seonghwa. By the Goddess herself, I will protect you.’

Seonghwa’s eyes hardened and he shook his head. ‘I made the Oath too. No matter what you do, no matter how far you go, I’m going to be there with you. Even if you’re stupid enough to go into Hell itself, I will be there.’

Hongjoong smiled and pulled Seonghwa into another kiss, this one the Siren returned with equal fervour. ‘I love you, Seonghwa. Always.’

‘I love you too, Hongjoong.’

As he held his husband in his arms, Hongjoong felt his heart soar into the high heavens; finally his heart felt complete. He carefully stroked Seonghwa’s beautiful and high cheekbones with his thumbs, hoping his touch communicated just how deeply in love with the Siren he was. If not, he would show his Siren for as long as it took and beyond how deep his love went.

The only thing that hung over their heads now … was Brigadier General Kim Namjoon. Doubtless the champion of justice in Her Majesty’s Royal Navy would take too kindly to Hongjoong marrying and ‘corrupting’ his officer, but there was no way in hell that Hongjoong was going to let Seonghwa suffer alone. Not any longer.

He smiled at Seonghwa. ‘Let’s go, my love. The Sea awaits.’

~ * ~

‘You must be out of your mind!’ San snapped, folding his arms as he stood in the Captain’s Cabin.

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. ‘If you say that too much, it’s going to start to lose all meaning.’

San’s eyes narrowed. ‘You expect me to just nod and smile when you spew this this nonsense about nominating Seonghwa-hyung to the High Council? They’re going to kill him! Are you trying to stroke your own ego and see if they’ll take flagrant nepotism? The Brethren’s Court’s going to impeach you.’

‘They’re not going to _kill_ him,’ Hongjoong snorted, leaning back in his chair. ‘And I’m not doing this for my sake. Seonghwa’s the Siren’s _Prince_ ; the power he would be able to wield to protect his people via his seat on the High Council would be far more than he would have otherwise.’

‘You — if he ever finds out that you’ve been orchestrating all of this, he’s going to be pissed.’

‘Probably,’ Hongjoong admitted. ‘But even if we’re no longer together, he would have his seat on the High Council and his power would remain to protect his people. And you know as well as I do that I can only put forward a nomination - the council itself needs to agree unanimously to install him as Pirate Lord.’

San growled as he sat down angrily. ‘You have this all figured out, don’t you?’

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. ‘I’m the chief strategist on this ship, San. If I _didn’t_ figure this all out, we’d be dead. What’s gotten you all up in a knot?’

‘Seonghwa-hyung’s falling apart,’ San hissed, leaning forward. ‘This is going on too long and he’s not going to be able to make it much longer. The guilt’s tearing him apart and he’s losing his mind over how badly he’s messed things up to the point where he’s going to end up harming you and the _Horizon_ both.’

A deep frown creased the young Pirate King’s lips. ‘Seonghwa…’ He sighed and leaned back further, staring up at the ceiling. ‘I was afraid of this. As much as he pretends he’s in complete control of his emotions, his voice betrays him every single time. If he punishes himself too much, the heartbreak’s going to kill him. Siren’s aren’t the best equipped to deal with their own emotions; it’s why so many of them keep to their base desires to manipulate and eat men.’

Incensed, San slammed his hand down on the desk in a tightly clenched fist. ‘Then what are you going to do about it?!’

Hongjoong hummed softly, seemingly unperturbed by San’s outburst. ‘I can’t make him do anything,’ the King said finally, ‘Seonghwa has to make his own choice about what he’s going to do. Regardless, I’m thinking past this mission of yours and his; he’s told me too many times about how powerless he feels about being unable to help his people.’ He lowered his head and looked at San. ‘If I can help my husband in any way, I will do everything in my power to make it happen.’

San was silent for a long moment and he muttered something under his breath as he stood up. ‘I hope you’re right about this.’

‘I hope so too.’ A thin smile cracked Hongjoong’s lips. ‘And for all your posturing about keeping your distance, you sure have gotten attached to Seonghwa, haven’t you?’ San growled at him and left the Cabin, closing the door soundly behind him. Hongjoong sighed and raked a hand through his dark hair. ‘…you’re not the only one, San; I’ve been deep in the Siren’s call for years now…’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maybe I shoulda titled this "Hongjoong is whipped for Seonghwa".
> 
> I'd love to hear from all of you in the comments! It's been so much fun seeing everyone's reactions :D


	5. The End Means the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Along the route they’ve been through so many times
> 
> They're standing in front of a new beginning
> 
> Where does it take Kim Hongjoong, the Pirate King? Where does it take Park Seonghwa, the Prince of the Sirens?

As much as Hongjoong had wanted to go out after Seonghwa once he’d seen his husband leave _The Mermaid’s Wail_ , the Pirate King knew that he had to give the Siren his space. It was quite the bomb he’d dropped and in the midst of everything else that was flying around, it was no surprise Seonghwa was overwhelmed. Hongjoong had slipped out himself after a while, knowing full well that his crew was going to enjoy themselves quite a bit before retiring for the evening. They weren’t to ship out for another two days; they deserved the break.

Especially with what lay ahead.

Hongjoong slipped his hands into his pockets as he walked down one of the many twisting, narrow alleyways in Tortuga, ripe for shady deals and clandestine meetings. He cracked his neck and flexed back his shoulders, letting out a soft sigh of relief as his joints stretched, eyes fluttering shut for the briefest of moments. Just as his left heel hit the cobblestone pavement, he had his black-bladed sword and his dagger out in front and behind him respectively, the sound of steel on steel flashing through the alley.

A smirk came to Hongjoong’s lips as he opened his eyes. “Lieutenant Taehyung, Lieutenant Minho; always a pleasure.”

Minho scoffed from behind the Pirate King and sheathed his sword, folding his arms as Taehyung sheathed his weapon from his position in front of Hongjoong. “You’d best have a good reason for dragging us here, _Highness_ ; I don’t make a habit of being in filthy alleys like this one often.”

“You can unclench, Lieutenant; I didn’t summon you here for a social call,” Hongjoong replied, sheathing his weapons and leaning back against the left wall, so he could see both men. “It’s about the Brethren’s Court that will convene in three weeks.”

Taehyung raised an eyebrow. “Then why isn’t Hwasa here?”

Hongjoong smirked. “Because _she_ actually replied to my message the first time. You two were playing hard to get so I had to throw my weight around and force it.” He plucked off his Captain’s hat, ruffling his sea-toned hair before plopping his hat back onto his head. “I’ll get down to brass tacks since I don’t have a lot of time.”

“Oh, and I do?” Minho asked flatly.

Rolling his eyes slightly, Hongjoong continued as if he hadn’t heard the remark. “I didn’t pass this along in my message to Chan, Chungha or Jimin for security reasons, but the attack planned on Shipwreck Cove is going to be a lot more than the last time.”

Taehyung frowned. “Because a seat’s being filled?”

“Because the Brigadier General’s _here_ in Tortuga,” Minho answered suddenly, realizing dawning on his features. “He wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for a reason. Captain saw him a handful of hours ago, right before you landed here.”

“Right on the mark as usual, Lieutenant,” Hongjoong confirmed. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a time when the head of the Royal Navy has come to see an operation through, have you? That means he’s got something very big planned that he wants to personally ensure goes off without any hitches.” Hongjoong smirked. “Unfortunately for him, we’re a giant hitch.”

Taehyung raked a hand through his sapphire blue hair, still as vibrant as the first day Hongjoong met him. “So… it seems like we’re going to be preparing for war.”

“That will be music to _The Levanter’s_ ears,” Minho said lowly, his gaze hardening. “We’ve been itching for a chance to repay Her Majesty’s Royal Navy, particularly the _Moonchild_. They’ve been too cowardly to face us on the high seas and have been resorting to pot shots.”

Hongjoong nodded. “You’ll get your chance. Prepare to take on the entire fleet. Once I give the word, you’ll have free rein to do as you want.” He glanced between the two of them. “That’s it, short and sweet. Make your preparations as you see fit.” Hongjoong pushed himself off the wall and inclined his head to the two Lieutenants. “Gentlemen.”

“—Highness, wait,” Taehyung interrupted, holding out a hand to stop the King’s progress while Minho took this chance to head out of the godforsaken alley. Hongjoong raised an eyebrow but nodded for the Lieutenant of the _Black Swan_ to go ahead. “Wooyoung. How is he doing?”

The Pirate King blinked slowly before a smile came to his lips and he nodded again, this time fondly. “He’s really come into his own the last two years,” Hongjoong answered truthfully. “Anything he sets his mind to, he’s going to achieve it, I fully believe that. His current goal is getting San, an Umberlant Cleric as a lover. It’s going as well as expected when they’re both bull-headed. If you want, I can keep you updated.”

Taehyung had to clap a hand over his mouth to stop the peal of laughter that escaped him from getting louder than he could afford it to. “That… sounds like him,” the Lieutenant said fondly. “It sounds like letting him go to the _Horizon_ was the right choice.”

“I really do owe your Captain a lot, not only for his help when I first started, but for being gracious enough to have Wooyoung come on board,” Hongjoong said with a smile. “The _Swan’s_ kind when he wants to be.”

The Lieutenant of the _Black Swan_ laughed a little and nodded. “Jimin always knew that Wooyoung was going to outgrow the _Swan_ , I think… he was just waiting for a crew just as crazy as Wooyoung was so they could handle him.” Taehyung paused and leaned in, whispering the next part directly into Hongjoong’s ear, “if you see Captain Jeon during the Brethren’s Court … turn a blind eye to it, will you?”

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. “That’s quite a big ask, Lieutenant… asking me to turn the other way if I see the infamous Pirate Hunter at Brethren’s Court? He could be there as a plant for the Brigadier General.”

Taehyung gave him a roguish smile. “He thinks he’s being sly but Seokjin-hyung and I know he’s going to try and be there to save Jimin during this raid. Just … let him sneak in, ne?”

“…I’ll allow it _for now_ ,” Hongjoong acquiesced, sighing. “But he makes one wrong move and I’m letting San’s hydra eat him.”

“Of course.” Taehyung grinned. “Though, I wouldn’t be mad if said hydra scares him a bit first. — see you at Brethren’s Court, Highness. It’s going to be one for the ages.”

Hongjoong smirked. “Stay alive, Taehyung; it’s going to be one hell of a show.”

~ * ~

“That's as far as you go, Kim Hongjoong!”

Ah, so he came himself. A smirk creased Hongjoong’s lips as he slowly turned around, halfway across the bridge before he was about to leap off with Seonghwa and onto the _Horizon_. He stepped forward, putting distance between Seonghwa and his superior. He threw his hands out, always a slut for theatrics. “Yah, I’m honoured,” Hongjoong drawled, “I didn’t think that the high and mighty Kim Namjoon would come out of his ivory tower to come and pay a visit to little ol’ me. I’m honoured.”

Shockingly, Namjoon wasn’t a fan of his greeting.

“Cut the theatrics,” Namjoon snapped, musket raised and his sharp eyes piercing through the sight. “You’re coming with me in shackles, you sham of a King.” Another cannonball hit the Tower, shaking the bridge. Hongjoong cast a side glance down towards the _Horizon_ ; they’d have to make the jump soon before another cannonball took them out. The bridge was old, and knowing pirate construction, shoddily made while half in the bag. “I take you down and the entire construct of Piracy falls.”

The insanity of that statement suddenly struck Hongjoong and he couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh. He really had no idea, did he?

“Let me let you in on a little secret, Brigadier General: you and I are more alike than we are different and you know that and you hate that,” Hongjoong pointed out, a smirk on his lips. “How could you be on the same level as dirty fucking pirate, you wonder? But we are. I hate liars and scoundrels the same as you. The only difference is I don’t handicap myself when it comes to making sure they don’t make that same mistake twice.” 

“You are the same type of filth as every other pirate out there! You may have fooled perfectly noble and innocent men into throwing away their morals, but I will not consort nor spend a second more indulging a pirate,” Namjoon stated firmly, eyes narrowing. “Either you come with me quietly, Kim Hongjoong, or I take you back to Port Royal in a pauper’s coffin; it matters not to me.” 

Namjoon was getting agitated; Hongjoong figured he had about another few seconds, if that. If he could just stall long enough, the _Horizon_ would be in prime position, they could just jump …

“— Why don’t we work together, Brigadier General? We’re two sides of the same coin - I want the seas to be safe, as do you,” Hongjoong suggested suddenly. “I know the God of Justice, Tyr, smiles upon you, but if you worked together with me, perhaps the Goddess Umberlee would be kinder to your fleet.” 

The Brigadier General’s eyes narrowed; he was not convinced and Hongjoong cursed inwardly. The man was as stubborn as he was. “The word of a _pirate_ means nothing to me. I’ve wasted enough on you; it’s clear you’ve chosen death. But I will tell you one thing before I send you to a fitting end, Kim Hongjoong… you may be the smartest pirate I’ve ever met, but you never realized how close I had my best pair of eyes on you.”  
  
Hongjoong’s eyes narrowed. So was that the way he wanted to play it? This sanctimonious fuck. The Pirate King had a fair amount of respect for Namjoon; a normal man would not have been able to ascend to the rank of Brigadier General as fast as he did and while so young. He’d heard the stories about the stalwart champion of Tyr, and Hongjoong wondered if it was possible for them to coexist on the seas. It was clear, however, that they weren’t there yet and the _gall_ of Namjoon to even suggest that Hongjoong was stupid enough not to see the Brigadier General’s plan from a mile away was driving him insane.  
  
“Take your best shot! The sea won’t be ruled and neither will I!” He gripped his sword and pointed it at Namjoon. He could take it. He would survive.  
  
He closed his eyes, bracing for the impact. He’d been shot a few times before; nothing he would like to experience again, but there was no way that he was going to let any harm come to Seonghwa. Namjoon was sorely mistaken if he thought that Hongjoong was going to be the one going to the briny depths on this day. His brows furrowed when the pain didn’t come, when he didn’t feel the burn or the hot splash of blood. He’d heard the shot be fired off. What happened?  
  
Curiously, Hongjoong opened his eyes and they immediately widened, his heart sinking into his stomach. As he’d closed his eyes, Seonghwa had moved in front of him at the last second, the Brigadier General’s shot piercing _his_ chest instead of Hongjoong’s. “ _Seonghwa!_ ” he cried, reaching out for his husband as yet another cannonball smashed into the bridge, this time cutting clear through the walkway. He stumbled forward, narrowly missing Seonghwa’s hand as the bridge shook.  
  
It happened so slowly that Hongjoong had been sure that he could have done something. He stared, eyes wide as a guttural scream wrenched itself from his throat, watching as Seonghwa fell just out of his reach. Maybe - Maybe he could land on the _Horizon_ , they were right above it — ! Hongjoong quickly turned and looked over the shattered pathway, cursing. No, he’d just missed it. Horror creeped over him as Seonghwa disappeared into the inky black waters, the ear-shattering sounds of war sounding as if he himself had been submerged in the sea.  
  
Abruptly, Hongjoong got to his feet and snatched up his black bladed sword, the ornamental charms jingling roughly. “Do you see what you’ve done?!” he screamed at Namjoon, none of his previous composure present. “Is it fucking worth it now, _Brigadier General Kim Namjoon!?_ I’m not like those pirates that ransacked your home and killed your family! If you had just fucking _waited_ , you’d have seen that! But now…!” He growled, gripping his sword as it began to glow, the black blade now sparked with blackish blue energy as the waves began to pick up, as a storm began to blow in. “If you want me to be the blackguard of the sea so badly, then I might just have to indulge you!”  
  
Something in Namjoon’s eyes stayed Hongjoong’s rage for the briefest of moments as he got a better look at the Brigadier General, until those same eyes hardened just as abruptly and he turned on Hongjoong. “You poisoned one of my best officers against their duty and you _dare_ to speak to me about what makes it ‘worth it’?!” He snarled, walking up to the edge of the wide gap that separated them. “You’re out of your mind if you think that I’m going to risk the safety of my men and the kingdom on the word of a _pirate_ —”  
  
“So it’s fine to sacrifice _Seonghwa?!_ ” Hongjoong demanded, his voice hoarse against the cannons, wracked with pain.  
  
Namjoon shook his head, his expression pained. “If you’d let him do his job, he wouldn’t have done that. There wouldn’t have been any conflict. But you just had to try and be the smartest one in the Caribbean, didn’t you? In trying to outsmart me, the only thing that you did was send your husband to his death, Kim Hongjoong. _And_ _you will have to deal with the consequences_.”  
  
Hongjoong’s eyes widened and his grip on his sword loosened considerably before he suddenly gripped it, the winds of the storm picking up. Startling Namjoon, Hongjoong threw his head back and let out an anguished scream as cyclones of water spiralled wildly out of the sea, lightning, thunder and the wail of the gales drowning out the heavy blasts of cannon fire. He raised his sword high to the sky, the black blade glowing bright in the darkening skies.  
  
If Kim Namjoon wanted to talk about Consequences, then Kim Hongjoong was ready to talk Vengeance.  
  
“ _Hear me, fearsome Deity of the Sea, the Great Umberlee!_ ” San’s voice suddenly cut through the chaos, rising high above the sounds of battle on the lips of the cresting waves. “ _We beseech you, Our Queen of the Ocean’s Fury, lend this Drowned Son your strength and rain hell down upon those who dare to think they can rule your waters! Take my blood and raise the Umberlant Hydra!_ ”  
  
“What the seven hells…” Namjoon cursed, his eyes narrowing as he watched the damned beast of the depths rise up from the inky black waters, it’s one giant head hissing as it dove down and attacked the nearest cluster of ships. “A Cleric that can summon the Hydra?!” He turned and glared at Hongjoong. “Is there no end to the depths of devilry that resides on your blasted ship, Kim Hongjoong?!”  
  
Hongjoong’s eyes narrowed as he gripped his black-bladed sword, clothes and hair whipped about by the strengthening storm. The screams of terror of those unfortunate enough to cross paths with the Umberlant Hydra mixed brutally with the stereo hisses from the Hydra’s rapidly multiplying heads as the Royal Navy futility tried to stop it. “If you want to talk consequences so badly, Brigadier General, then you’re going to see first hand what happens when you cross the Sea Goddess’ King!”  
  
“The only thing we’re going to talk about is—”  
  
Suddenly rising out from the depths like a nightmare, with a horrifying screech that pierced the heavens was the Goddess of the Sea and its Fury, Umberlee. Utterly terrifying at her full height and unbridled rage, Umberlee let out a second screech that outright _shattered_ several smaller Royal Navy vessels. Hongjoong and Namjoon watched in surprise and horror respectively as the Sea Bitch unleashed her rage upon the Royal Navy’s fleet. Creatures spawned from the deepest nightmares of the most superstitious sailor poured out from the sea’s murky depths, descending down on the Royal Navy like a plague.  
  
The Pirate King’s mouth hung open as he watched his Goddess’ fearsome power cut through the most powerful fleet in the Caribbean like a child playing too roughly with their toys. Sturdy warships that had seen the Royal Navy through untold wars were snapped in half as if they were made out of flimsy paper. If the Royal Fleet was prepared to take on pirates and their ilk, they were _not_ prepared for the true terrors of the deep that soon appeared - sirens, were-sharks, all manner of creature that should not ever have seen the light of day. San’s Umberlant Hydra grew larger and larger still, as if the blood spilt on it willed it so. Soon, it would be the size of the Tower itself, the more it feasted on the blood of its enemies.  
  
As her subjects ravaged those who dared cross her Chosen, Umberlee raised her hands and began to chant in a language that Hongjoong couldn’t recognize. Dazedly, he wondered if it was the language of the Olde Gods, forgotten to humanity and only spoken in times like these. His eyes were stinging from the gunpowder, from the sting of the salt water, the gale force winds that threatened to knock him off the bridge and the pain of losing his husband, but Hongjoong remained firmly planted, somehow stationary as hell broke out around him. He watched as The Great Sea Goddess clenched her fists and parted the violent sea, a cresting wave cradled around someone — _Seonghwa_.  
  
Hongjoong’s voice died in his throat as Umberlee continued to chant, the water taking on an utterly supernatural and darkly beautiful glow as it enveloped Seonghwa until he couldn’t be seen any longer. “No… — Please, Goddess, please…!” he begged, falling to his knees and gripping the edge of the weather beaten stone of the bridge. “Please, bring him back to me!”  
  
As if hearing his hoarse pleas, Umberlee turned to her King and nodded once before guiding the wave - easily crafting it to be a thousand times larger and higher than it had been initially - to carefully deposit Seonghwa inside the tallest point in the Tower, the King’s Quarters. With her work done and the Royal Fleet laying in pieces scattered throughout the black seas, Umberlee disappeared as suddenly as she appeared, leaving utter devastation in her wake.  
  
Hongjoong’s eyes widened and he suddenly sheathed his blade and took off at a running start, clearing the wide gap and running past Namjoon without breaking his stride. The Brigadier General hadn’t moved, unsurprisingly, but Hongjoong could give a fuck what happened to him now; the only thing he cared about was Seonghwa.  
  
By the grace of the Sea Goddess, Seonghwa had been saved.

~ * ~

“Captain…”

“If you’re here to ask me to do something stupid like leave and get something to eat while my husband is laying motionless on my bed, you can shove it, San.”

San sighed and leaned against the doorframe. “All I’m saying is that he’s been like that for days now and you can’t starve yourself while you wait for him to open his eyes, _if_ he—” Hongjoong turned and affixed San with a deadly stare, one so vicious that San flinched involuntarily. “My apologies, Captain.”

Turning back to face Seonghwa, Hongjoong resumed the gargoyle like position he’d been in for the past three days, hunched forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his chin resting on his clasped hands. “He _will_ wake up, San.”

He could hear the clack of San’s heeled boots hitting the cobblestone floor of the King’s Quarters as San came to stand beside him, a hand resting on the King’s right shoulder. “Captain,” San started softly. “He has been unconscious for three days; you need to eat something. Please, let one of us stay here and watch over him, we’ll come and get you if he wakes up —”

“I’m not leaving his side, San!” Hongjoong exploded, turning his head sharply. “I took my eye off him for one fucking _second_ because I was too fucking concerned with fucking _Brigadier General Kim Namjoon_ and Seonghwa took that shot! I was supposed to take that shot!”

“You couldn’t have known that Seonghwa-hyung was going to do something like that,” San argued, shaking his head. “He’s never done something that reckless the entire time I’ve known him. Seems like you were more of an influence on him than you thought.”

Hongjoong shot him a warning stare, but saw a small, thin smile creasing San’s lips and the Pirate King sighed, putting his head in his hands. “It’s been three days, San,” he whispered. “Everyone… are they… since… are they okay…?”

Pulling up a chair beside his Captain, San sat down quietly and pushed a bowl of porridge into the older man’s hands. He stuck a wooden spoon into the bowl, scooped up a bit of the porridge and shoved it into Hongjoong’s mouth. His Captain nearly choked on the spoonful, but swallowed it down and glared at the Umberlant Cleric. “Everyone’s fine, still trying to assess the damage. There are some casualties of course, but the Lords and their immediate Crews have survived. Everyone’s accounted for on the _Horizon_ as well.”

“What about the Royal Navy?”

San sighed. “We lost track of the _Moonchild_ , but according to the _XII_ , Brigadier General Namjoon was spared by the grace of Tyr himself and was spirited away on the _Euphoria_. The rest of the fleet … there weren’t any other survivors that we could find. But I’ll be honest, we weren’t looking very hard.”

“…And Captain Jeon and Lieutenant Min?”

San blinked, surprised that Hongjoong was able to catch that in the chaos. “Captain Jimin sustained an injury and is resting in his room in the Tower. Captain Jeon is with him and Lieutenant Min returned to the _Euphoria_ with Lieutenant Jung Hoseok. I think they led the remnants of the Fleet back to Port Royal.”

“All right. Leave them be; I’ll… I’ll talk to Jeon later. But he’s got permission to stay with Jimin for now.”

“Captain, about Seonghwa-hyung—”

“I can’t believe Umberlee saved him,” Hongjoong whispered, staring down at the steaming bowl, forcing himself to take another spoonful. He could hear Seonghwa’s prodding voice in his mind, continually nagging him to eat instead of drawing up plans for the next raid. When would he hear it aloud again? “She’s never done that… she’d rather drown him for failing than … than save him.”

San raised an eyebrow. “Really?” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, debating whether or not he should say something that was clearly on the tip of his tongue. “You really don’t — All right. Let me tell you something, Captain. Do you remember when you were first anointed as the King? When Umberlee pulled you into the sea, drowned you, and pulled you back out?”

Hongjoong glanced at him. “It was the second worst feeling of my life, next to this right now. What are you getting at, San?”

“As the others brought you into the Temple to rest… I told you that Umberlee herself asked me to join your ship. But she… had asked me to do something else as well,” San started, watching his Captain’s expression carefully.

Slowly, Hongjoong swallowed another spoonful of the porridge, steadily watching his second mate. “What did she ask you to do, San?” he asked softly.

San shifted, taking a beat to figure out the right words to use. “She told me that I was going to meet a Siren named Seonghwa, and it was my duty to bring him to you. When I enlisted in the Royal Navy, I found myself in the same squadron as him. He was one of the best, and the minute he was out in the field, he was incredible. But he wasn’t anywhere near who Brigadier General Namjoon wanted on the mission. I made the case to him personally that he was… because his voice was so tempting that he could be the one to bewitch the notorious Pirate King.” San swallowed, stealing a glance at Hongjoong.

“…where are you going with this?”

“I’m saying that the Goddess herself really chose Seonghwa-hyung for you, like she chose you for him,” San replied softly. “She said that if I did this, if I was able to bring Seonghwa-hyung to you, bring him aboard the _Horizon_ , she would give me the ‘soulmate’ that she promised me when I became a _Drowned Son_.”

Hongjoong’s eyes widened, the pieces sliding into place. “Wait. She _promised_ Wooyoung to you? _That’s_ why you didn’t want to show him your arm? Why you keep running away from him?”

“…Yes,” San admitted. “But Captain, more importantly… _Both_ of you are her Chosen. She marked you at birth to be her King, and she knew that Seonghwa-hyung would be your betrothed. Why _wouldn’t_ she save him? Why _wouldn’t_ she take her wrath out on the Royal Navy, who dares to think that they can control and rule _her_ waters? She returned him to the sea and brought him back to you… because he’s literally your other half. ”

Abruptly, Hongjoong rose to his feet and slammed the bowl down on a nearby table, striding purposefully towards a large chest. “ _Returned to the Sea_ …” He sunk to his feet and opened the lock with a burst of magical energy that San had _never_ seen him use. Watching curiously from his seat at Seonghwa’s bedside, the Cleric watched as Hongjoong rummaged around until he pulled out a sea-beaten, seaweed encrusted, rectangular shaped box. “That’s… this is what they meant!”

San’s brows furrowed. “This is what _who_ meant?”

“Months ago, when I was thinking of how to propose to Seonghwa, I … I was speaking with a siren, a couple of sirens, actually in Tortuga. I asked them what their marriage rituals were … if it was different because Seonghwa’s their Prince. The eldest gave _this_ to me. She said … she said I couldn’t give this to him until he’d been returned to the sea, reborn like I was.”

The Umberlant Cleric’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “That’s —”

“— a Marriage Necklace?” Seonghwa croaked, his raspy, raw voice snapping both Hongjoong and San out of their conversation like they’d been struck by lightning.

“Seonghwa!” Hongjoong exclaimed, shoving the box at San and taking Seonghwa’s hand in his. “Seonghwa, please… don’t talk. You’ve been… oh, by the Gods, you’re… you’re alive!” He hunched over his husband, an unrestrained, choked sob leaving his lips. “You stupid fool! How could you take that shot?! I was … I was going to be fine!”

A wry smile creased Seonghwa’s lips. “I… finally made my choice,” he whispered hoarsely, weakly giving Hongjoong’s hand a squeeze. “I’m … I’m not going to lie to myself anymore. About … what I want, _who_ I want.”

Pulling back enough so that he could gently brush Seonghwa’s hair out of his eyes with trembling fingers, Hongjoong roughly shook his head. “I told you to save your voice! I … I didn’t think I’d ever hear it again… Seonghwa, please, don’t ever do that again, I … I can’t…”

San smiled and set the box down on the bed, putting a hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder. “Fearsome Pirate King indeed,” he gently teased, deciding to take his leave. As he moved towards the door, he stopped, seeing Wooyoung standing at the frame, eyes wide. “—Wooyoung? How long were you standing there?”

“Show me your arm!” Wooyoung demanded, his eyes bright and determined. “San, _show me_. The Goddess marked me your soulmate, same as she did for the Captain and the Lieutenant, didn’t she?”

Panic shot through the Cleric and he shook his head. “Wooyoung, this isn’t the time we need to—” His protest died in his throat as Wooyoung grabbed him by the lapels and pulled him in for a deep kiss. Worn down from a life on the run, of having to put everything in a box and toss it into the sea, San was unable to fight back and finally… finally he gave in, returning the kiss. “I didn’twant to force you,” he whispered. “With what I have to do, it would be… it’d put you in danger.”

Wooyoung snorted. “Like I’m not already? I’m a fucking _pirate_ , San; danger’s the whole _point_.” He turned to Seonghwa and Hongjoong, bowing deeply. “I’m going to borrow him for a minute. If you need something, Jongho’s just outside the door.”

Hongjoong smiled faintly. “Go on.” Once Wooyoung had saluted and pulled San out the door and away, he turned his attention back to Seonghwa, whose colouring had returned slowly but steadily. “How are you feeling, my love?”

Leaning into Hongjoong’s touch, Seonghwa’s eyes fluttered shut as he savoured the feeling. “Better,” he admitted quietly. “Hongjoong, I’m sorry… I’ve been lying to you this whole time. The reason I was on the ship, why San and I were so insistent about being on your crew… I was ordered to. Brigadier General Namjoon, he—” He frowned as Hongjoong put a finger to his lips. “No, I need to say this!”

“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong interrupted gently, “I already knew.”

“…W-What?” Seonghwa looked faint, and Hongjoong quietly moved from the chair to the bed, never once letting go of Seonghwa’s hand. “You… how long? _How long_ , Hongjoong?”

A wry smile came to Hongjoong’s lips. “From the beginning. My love, you’re the most brilliant man I’ve ever known but it was painfully obvious from the start you weren’t a pirate.” He pressed his lips to Seonghwa’s left ring finger. “But I need to confess something myself: I asked San to infiltrate the Navy; he came from the _Horizon_ first. The hope was he would be assigned to spy on me and we’d feed false information to the Crown, giving them the runaround. Never once did I expect that he’d bring you with him.”

Seonghwa stared at him, all the emotions possible flashing across his handsome features. “And you said _nothing?_ You let me make a fool out of myself?!”

“You never made a fool out of yourself!” Hongjoong protested, shielding himself from a pointed punch to the upper arm. “And I couldn’t just _tell_ you! It’d have thrown everything into jeopardy. You needed to do your job and I needed to make it look like you were so you could stay… I’d finally found you again, I wasn’t going to let this chance slip away.”

The Siren’s brows furrowed. “Again?”

A light blush coloured Hongjoong’s tanned cheeks, sporting cuts and bruises from the battle. “When I was 16, I saw you and Jeon Jungkook in the market in Port Royal … I was … working as a blacksmith’s apprentice in between voyages with the _BIGBANG_.” He smiled bashfully and looked away. “I… fell in love you then. At first sight, I … I knew I wanted no one else but you. So when San brought you aboard the _Horizon_ , I thought … the Goddess really did choose you for me. I hoped I could be … I could be what _you_ wanted.”

Seonghwa’s mouth hung open and he put his free hand to his forehead to stave off a wave of dizziness. “I don’t believe this,” he muttered. “This _figures_. Everyone knew what was going on except for me?” His haunches raised, his voice souring with irritation. “San was in on it from the beginning?”

“Yes,” Hongjoong confirmed, gently pressing a kiss to Seonghwa’s brow. “On my orders. And… apparently, on Umberlee’s as well.”

“I can’t _believe_ this!” Seonghwa hissed, tilting his head back so it hit the ornate headboard of the Pirate King’s bed as he glared at the ceiling. “I was just a pawn this entire time?”

“No, never,” Hongjoong denied, shaking his own head. “I could never make you do anything, Seonghwa. Every choice you made was your own. You’re too strong and too level-headed to be manipulated by someone like me.” He smiled, brushing some of Seonghwa’s dark hair away from his face. “But Seonghwa… you said you made your choice?”

Seonghwa pouted slightly, and Hongjoong nearly combusted on the spot. “I’m beginning to regret it now,” he faintly joked, laughing in disbelief. “But… I’ve already taken a bullet for you, so I’m not sure what else needs to be said.”

Hongjoong swallowed tightly. “I need to hear it. And… I think you need to hear it too.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Seonghwa whispered to himself. “As annoyed as I am about this all being a plot from the beginning… in a way, I’m … I’m relieved? For so long I was consumed by the guilt of … lying to you, of lying to the Brigadier General … of lying to myself about how I felt about you. About everyone.” He looked up at the ceiling, exhaling deeply. He closed his sea blue eyes, opening them after a moment to look at his husband. “I love you, Hongjoong. As long as I draw breath, I want to be by your side. I want to sail the Seven Seas with you, I want to keep you in line as a Lord of the High Council. I want… I want it all with you.”

For someone who made a living off using their silver tongue to get their way, Hongjoong couldn’t find any one of them in that moment. Instead, he leaned down to capture Seonghwa’s lips in a deep and loving kiss, keeping it gentle as he could as he was mindful of his husband’s delicate condition. As he pulled away, Hongjoong pulled the rectangular box over and carefully opened it with one hand.

“You already know what this is, but I want to do this right,” Hongjoong started, releasing Seonghwa’s hand so he could carefully remove the Siren’s Marriage Necklace from the box.

Seonghwa’s throat tightened as he watched Hongjoong stand, only to drop to one knee at his bedside, holding out the ceremonial Marriage Necklace up to his husband. “Hongjoong, what are you—”

“Park Seonghwa, Prince of the Sirens and my beloved… Reborn in the sea, brought back by Umberlee’s grace… I, Kim Hongjoong, the Pirate King and the Captain of her blessed vessel the _Horizon,_ ask for your hand in marriage by the laws of your Kingdom. Do you accept?”

Silence stretched for a long moment as Seonghwa struggled to get his throat to work. Wordlessly, he nodded and swallowed thickly. “Yes, Yes, I — I accept. Always. I will … always,” he whispered, not trusting his voice to go any higher.

Smiling as bright as any sun, Hongjoong rose slowly to his feet and leaned over the bed so he could fasten the choker around Seonghwa’s slender neck. His fingers were deft and gentle and Seonghwa’s breath hitched in his throat as the lock fastened and disappeared, the bond forged. Hongjoong let out a surprised noise as his hand flew to his own throat where a similarly styled choker was now around his own neck, though with darker hued stones. “W-What? Is this… is this what they meant?” he whispered. “Why you had to be honest… I can feel… Seonghwa, I can feel everything… I can feel _you._ ”

The Siren Prince nodded slowly. “If you received this from the Sirens, then they must have warned you about giving this to me too early… because … the bond that’s forged by giving this to their Prince, it … bonds us together _completely and fully_. If I was… if I wasn’t … truthful with my feelings, it would kill me.”

Hongjoong stared at him. “You’re _kidding_.”

“No…” Seonghwa shook his head as he gently reached up and touched the choker with his fingers, trying his best to pick the right words though it was proving difficult with how fast his thoughts were swimming. “Sirens live by manipulating men and dragging them to their deaths with their voices. It’s something ironic, I feel, that the Royal necklace… can bond them to their beloved, but it could kill them if they weren’t ready for that sacrifice.”

“It’s a good fucking thing I waited,” Hongjoong muttered in disbelief. “I was going to have to until you yourself were reborn in the sea like I was anyway, but… by the Gods, that’s insane. That’s _cruel_.”

Seonghwa smiled at him faintly. “Sirens aren’t necessarily creatures that are thought of in a positive light, Hongjoong… you’re the only one who seems fond of us.”

Hongjoong huffed. “I was saved by Sirens! And now…” He smiled, leaning down to capture his husband’s lips in a deep kiss, feeling the swell of affection through their bond. “…and now, one’s fallen as head over heels in love with me as I have been with him.”

“Hongjoong…” Seonghwa turned bright red, burying his face in his King’s neck. “How can you say these things so easily?”

“…Because it’s you,” Hongjoong whispered. “I love you. I have since the beginning.”

Seonghwa smiled. “I love you too. I might have taken too long to admit it to myself, but… I know it now; I love you.”

Outside, they heard a small sniffle from Jongho. The King and his Siren couldn’t help but laugh, sharing a warm smile and even fonder gazes with one another.

~ * ~

San grunted as Wooyoung shoved him up against the nearest wall once they had entered a singular room reserved for a member of the King’s crew. He was about to demand what the hell that was all about when Wooyoung captured his lips in a hot kiss that would likely bruise his lips, hands eagerly sliding up the lose fabric of San’s tunic. “W-Wooyoung,” San breathed when the kiss broke, eyes rolling back in his head as the younger pirate seemed hell bent on sucking his piercings right off his left ear. “S-Stop, what … what are you… we need to talk —!”

With a huff, Wooyoung halted in his assault on San’s ear but he didn’t move from where he had the Cleric pressed up against the wall. “So talk.”

Sighing as he hung his head, San grunted as he squatted, picking Wooyoung up with a firm grip on his ass, and depositing the other man on the bed with a toss. Wooyoung landed soundly on the mattress and stared back at the Cleric with wide eyes and a bit of a blush. (Of course he finds that hot,) San sighed mentally, though a smile threatened to tug at his lips. This was the love of his life, his soulmate, this … vibrant, stubborn, beautiful man. He shook his head ruefully and sat down on the edge of the bed. “About this soulmate business… it’s … I … I need to apologize.”

Wooyoung raised an eyebrow. “Apologize?”

“The way I phrased it… the way Umberlee phrased it, it sounds … it’s not fair to you,” San explained, decidedly not meeting Wooyoung’s eyes, instead finding a choice spot on the wall to stare at. “When I was reborn in the sea, when I became a _Drowned Son_ , Umberlee promised me my soulmate. She promises that to everyone, but with how easily she breaks pacts … I didn’t think anything of it. I swore my life to her service; I knew what came with it. But then, when the Captain was anointed King, she told me… she told me to bring Seonghwa-hyung to the Captain, and if I did … she’d make sure you’d come to me.”

The younger pirate was silent for a long moment, his expression falling into something blank and he seemed more concerned with the collection of beaded bracelets on his left wrist. For as long as San had known Wooyoung, he’d always kept the bracelets on even when they were having sex, always nattering on about how they were sentimental gifts from his parents and the crew of the _Black Swan_. San never thought anything of it … until Wooyoung pulled the bundle of bracelets off and tossed them to the side on the bed. “Look at this and tell me what you see.”

Confused, San leaned forward and took Wooyoung’s wrist in his hand. Hidden beneath the thick collection of bracelets that seemed ever present on the younger man’s wrist was a Mark of Umberlee, much like his own but a fair bit smaller, easily concealable. And much like his own, San saw a name written in the waves - _Choi San_. “—W-What?”

He suddenly felt faint.

Wooyoung was watching him like a hawk, dark eyes sharp. “When you came onto the ship… when the Captain gave you the Brand, this showed up. I didn’t think anything of it at first. We all went to the Main Temple, we saw the Goddess … but no one else had a Mark. I asked everyone, and they thought I was crazy. Why would … I have your name on me?” He scoffed and looked away, expression unreadable. “When the Captain and Lieutenant got married… they had brands like this. But why did I have it when I wasn’t married?”

“Wooyoung—”

“— I saw your Mark one night,” Wooyoung said, finally turning around to hold the Cleric’s gaze. “You were out like a light, your bandage was falling off … I was going to retie it for you when I saw it.” He sucked on his teeth, apparently put out by all of this. “I thought I could get you to admit it, that you loved me. That we were… that we were bound together. But you never… you wouldn’t ever admit it!” He grunted, frustrated. “Why didn’t you just _talk_ to me?”

San was floored and felt like every single word he knew how to say flew out of his head. “I… I didn’t want to force you into anything,” he said dumbly. “When I got the Mark, we barely knew each other. I didn’t want … I didn’t want the pressure. Not on you, not on me. The Captain was going to send me on … I was going to do some real shady shit, Wooyoung. Things were I’d abandon my name, my life, be someone new, be _several_ new someones. If the people I was dealing with knew that there was a thread that led back to the real me, that you … that you were that important to me, I… I wasn’t going to risk it. I couldn’t risk your safety like that.”

“By the Gods, how can someone so smart be _so stupid_.”

“W- _What?_ ”

Wooyoung was looking at him like he’d just won the grand prize for being the biggest dumbass this side of the Caribbean. “What does it matter if you were an information dealer or just a member of the Pirate King’s crew? We’re all risking a lot just by existing when the Royal Navy’s cracking down on Piracy like there’s no tomorrow.” He snorted. “If anything, it makes me want to flaunt it in their faces.”

San shook his head. “You _can’t_ —”

“Shut up!” Wooyoung interrupted, slapping a hand over San’s mouth. “I’m not going to scream it from the rooftops in Port Royal that we’re together, and I’m not going to fuck up your little spy missions. But I’m really tired of chasing you. Just… please? Trust me?”

San was silent for a long moment, looking down at Wooyoung’s hand over his mouth, and down to his free one that had his Mark clearly pressed on his wrist. Carefully, he peeled the younger man’s hand off his mouth and took it in his hand, placing a soft kiss to his fingertips, then to the Mark on his other wrist. “All right,” he agreed quietly. “I will. I trust you, Wooyoung.” He frowned thinly and squeezed the younger pirate’s hands tightly. “The _second_ something seems off and someone’s following you because of me, you tell the Captain, understand?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Wooyoung confirmed, shaking his head ruefully. “Now come on. You interrupted me before and I’m not leaving this room until you fuck me bowlegged.”

San rolled his eyes slightly but couldn’t help the smile that came to his lips, pressing a kiss to Wooyoung’s, and letting out a pleased hum when the other pirate returned it. “Why don’t I _make love_ to you instead?” he murmured, smirking when Wooyoung yelped in embarrassment, his face turning bright red. “Oh, you like that, do you? Hearing how much I love you, Jung Wooyoung?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Wooyoung admitted, pulling him down for a deep kiss - one that San happily returned. “I love you, Choi San.”

“Music to my ears.”

Wooyoung smirked. “See if you can make me scream; it sounds way better.”

San exhaled sharply; Jung Wooyoung was going to be the death of him. But what a sweet death it would be.

~ * ~

“Are you sure you’re well enough for this?” Hongjoong asked for what felt like the thousandth time that hour.

Seonghwa glanced over at him with a small smile. “You would feel it if I wasn’t,” he replied, shaking his head ruefully. They were walking down the long staircase down to the next level where the Black Swan’s personal quarters were inside of Shipwreck Cove’s Tower. “Besides, I want to speak with Captain Jungkook and Captain Jimin myself.”

Hongjoong didn’t seem convinced, but soon gave in when Seonghwa matched his stare with one of his own. With a sigh, he nodded and knocked on Jimin’s door. “I hope you two are decent!” he called loudly, “I’m opening this door on my authority as King!” When he didn’t hear anything, Hongjoong sighed again and opened the door, pushing it open. To his relief, both Jimin and Jungkook were fully clothed and had seemed to be in a deep discussion. Quickly, Jungkook rose to his feet, as tense as a taut bowstring. “At ease, Captain Jeon. I’m not here to fight.”

“It really is all right; you won’t be harmed here,” Seonghwa said, startling Jungkook. It was then, when Jungkook laid eyes on the _Horizon’s_ Lieutenant that realization dawned on him and he suddenly crossed across theroom to pull Seonghwa into a tight hug. “Ah! Captain Jungkook…”

“Seonghwa!” he whispered, tightening his hold on the younger man. “I saw you fall off that bridge… I thought … I thought you’d died when the Sea Witch came!” He pulled back enough so he could get a good look at Seonghwa, a bright smile coming to his lips, his nose crinkling slightly. “I’m … I’m so glad to see you’re alive.” He blinked. “The necklace is new.”

Embarrassed, Seonghwa instinctively reached up to touch the Marriage Necklace that hung snugly around his slender neck. “It’s, ah… a marriage necklace. It’s customary among my people.”

Mild confusion coloured Jungkook’s handsome features before something clicked and he opened his mouth in a wide ‘o’ shape. “Oh, because… oh! At the Den, you … You’re a …” He trailed off, nodding as his gaze became distant.

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. “Is there something wrong with Seonghwa being a Siren?”

“No!” Jungkook exclaimed, shaking his head. “It just … everything just made sense all of a sudden.” He paused, glancing back at Jimin before looking at Hongjoong. “… thank you for letting me stay here with him. I know I snuck in here, but when everything went down, I couldn’t think of anything but getting Jimin to safety.”

Humming softly in acknowledgment, Hongjoong nodded. “I’ll be honest, Taehyung told me you were planning on showing up when I met him in Tortuga about a month ago,” he admitted with a cheeky grin, laughing at Jungkook’s affronted look. “But I must say, it’s nice to finally meet you; Jimin won’t shut his trap about you.”

Jimin let out an indignant sound from where he was sitting up on the bed, and Jungkook turned to him with a smirk on his lips. “Oh, you’ve been bragging about me to your pirate friends?” Jungkook asked, looking very satisfied with himself. “Did you also tell them how I caught you and paraded you out in front of your crew in shackles?”

“I told them that I let you,” Jimin shot back, smirking.

“And we told him we didn’t believe him,” Hongjoong added, snickering.

Jungkook snorted, and shook his head. “No, the _Swan’s_ faster than the _Euphoria_ , that much is true. I really thought I’d gotten the drop on the _Black Swan_ , but to find out it was Jimin… well, it’s irrelevant now. — I’m glad you came here, Captain Hongjoong. I wanted… I wanted to talk to you about something. I might get court-martialled for this, but I’m willing to take the risk.”

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. “Shoot. — I mean, not literally.” He flinched, rubbing his neck sheepishly and shot an apologetic look to Seonghwa, who merely sighed and shook his head ruefully. “What is it?” he finally corrected with an embarrassed grin.

Jungkook shifted, exhaling deeply. “Seeing everything today, how the Court works, how you run it … what kind of man you are, what kind of … what kind of men you have working under you, _with_ you, it was…” Jungkook paused, trying to find the right words. “… it reminded me of something Seonghwa said when we were teenagers.” He raised his eyes and caught Hongjoong’s gaze. “He said that the Royal Navy wasn’t a bastion of justice by default… just because they’re agents of the Crown. He said that it was the men that made the ship and I truly believe that now, after seeing … after seeing everything I did. And that made me think of something Jimin said to me when I caught him.”

Jimin’s eyes widened as he shifted on the bed. “Jungkook… are you…?”

Slowly, his husband nodded. “I said… I said to Seonghwa years ago that we would be the change that the Royal Navy needed. I think that change involves working together with the Pirate King himself to ensure that the seas are safe for everyone.”

“Jungkook!” Jimin exclaimed softly, his eyes wide. “Are you sure about this? You were so vehemently against it when I asked you aboard the _Swan_ …”

The _Euphoria’s_ Captain slowly nodded. “At the time, I couldn’tdream of working together with a pirate. But after today, I believe you… I believe that it’s possible. That together, we can make sure that those pirates, criminals, brigands that harm the innocent face the consequences of their actions.” He paused, looking over at the Pirate King. “Between Hongjoong’s command of the Pirates Council, and my standing in the Royal Navy, I believe we can really make some fundamental changes in the way things are handled. I hope we can form a strong alliance… Highness.”

Silence stretched for a long moment before a big grin broke out on Hongjoong’s face. “You’re a real wild card, Jeon Jungkook,” he said, impressed. “I didn’t think that you would be the one that would offer such a partnership. I offered the same thing to the Brigadier General and he told me to fuck off.”

“The way you suggested it to him, I would have told you to fuck off too,” Seonghwa sighed, rolling his eyes. He turned to Jungkook, his expression becoming serious. “Captain Jungkook, are you sure? This is an incredibly huge risk for you. I am as good as dead when it comes to the Brigadier General for what I did, but you still have a career in the Royal Navy… you’re practically a shoo-in for Commodore.”

Jungkook fell silent, clearly thinking over the implications. Quietly, he reached back and took Jimin’s hand in his, giving it a firm squeeze. “I’m sure. No one well behaved ever made history or changed things; I’m willing to take the risk in trusting you filthy pirates.” He grinned. “Don’t make me regret it now, Kim Hongjoong. Do we have an accord?”

Hongjoong looked at Jungkook’s outstretched hand, glancing at Seonghwa beside him. “It’s up to you,” Seonghwa said, a smile on his lips. “I’ll follow you wherever you go.”

“You’ll be at my side,” Hongjoong corrected with a roguish grin, his hand darting out and grasping Jungkook’s in a firm handshake. “You’ve got an accord, Captain Jeon Jungkook.”

Jungkook grinned. “We have an accord, Captain Kim Hongjoong,” he confirmed.

The tide was ever changing, the sea forever restless, and no one knew that better than Park Seonghwa and his husband, the Pirate King Kim Hongjoong. But as Seonghwa watched the history-altering alliance between Hongjoong and Jungkook solidify, he had never felt more at peace. Quietly, he reached up and touched the marriage necklace around his neck, sparing a quick glance at the one Hongjoong wore. He could feel the swell of affection and love through their bond, and a fond smile came to his lips.

The Siren’s Prince and his husband, the man saved by the Siren’s on the night of a shipwreck, chosen by the wild Goddess of the Sea and forever beholden to each other even as they entered a new age. No matter what the future brought, Seonghwa knew that he’d go to the ends of the Earth with Hongjoong.

His heart was never complete until he met the Pirate King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for these sweethearts! This spiralled into something I couldn't have anticipated when I first started writing it on a whim. I truly love hearing from everyone; the comments and reactions have been absolutely wonderful to read. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I purple you~
> 
> PS: how do we feel about Brigadier General Namjoon x Rogue Pirate Jackson? ;)


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